


What the Water Gave Me

by miraimisu



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions, Pocket Monsters: Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon | Pokemon Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon Versions
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Discussion on Self-Worth, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Insecurities, Kissing, Lonashipping Travels to Johto, Lyra and Ethan: eternally happy and pure as per this fic, Silver is a DICK, Slight Retconning, Trainer Tips: Never use Earthquake in an old space
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24271720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miraimisu/pseuds/miraimisu
Summary: There are a bunch of things Moon would like to do:✓ Become the Champion of Alola✓ Develop a close circle of friends- Find the legendary creature that saved her life as a child- Investigate the ever so mysterious Whirl IslandsBonus points if she gets someone important to her to tag along (and Moon always goes for the bonus points).
Relationships: Gladio | Gladion/Moon
Comments: 18
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

"Maybe if we had brought the malasadas I suggested earlier we wouldn't be this hungry now."

"Again, they wouldn't let us into the boat if we brought food with us, and the staff was nice enough to give us food."

Moon rolls her eyes, folding her arms and looking at the scenery outside the ferry. Her cheeks puff in disagreement, mumbling, "Only _you_ would call that food."

Johto is prettier than she remembers during summer. There's a certain nostalgic twinge under her tongue as she witnesses the waves lap against the rocks of the sea. It's been so many years since she last visited this region that she once thought Alola's sea roared the same way, but there's a soothing feeling in coming back to this place, this city.

Moon looks at the seagulls cooing in the sky under the bright sun. Gladion shifts on his seat. "I hope we get there soon. I can feel Silvally growing restless."

"It's not like you should let him out in public right now. There's gonna be a lot of people on the streets this early in the afternoon." When he doesn't answer and, as predicted, resorts to sulking, Moon flattens her voice. "And Wicke advised you against letting him out at daytime."

"I know," he says with a thin voice. "Though I don't know why you asked me to come with you. A rock would be better than me at giving moral support."

Moon half turns her head to him. He looks as bored as always, but she counters it with a small smile. "We're our worst critics. Besides, everyone in Aether and their mom knows you need a vacation as much as I do."

"This feels less like a vacation and more like the Ultra Beast hunting situation again."

"Don't be dramatic."

"I'm not dramatic," Gladion counters, eliciting a chuckle out of her. "I'm just getting sleepy."

Moon retreats from her position by the window and sits back down. She rummages through her backpack and takes out a map. "This ferry should leave us at Olivine City. We can figure the rest on our own."

"You said you know Johto pretty well, right?" Moon swings her eyes towards him, narrowing in an unspoken accusation. "You're from Kanto, and they're neighboring regions. I'm just curious."

She nods. "I came here several times when I was a kid with my parents." Moon tilts her head as she inspects the map. "I don't remember ever visiting none of the parks in this map, though. My parents were no fun when I was a kid."

Gladion huffs a humorless chuckle. "Tell me about it." Moon nudges his side. "Are you sure we'll find anything in Olivine City? The map says we won't find much more than the gym and a lighthouse."

"It shows that you never did the Island Challenge properly, you have no hunch for investigating."

"The lady at the tourism reception told you several times that Lugia's den being located there is an urban legend."

Moon's eyebrow twitches. "Comes to show that lady never did the Island Challenge properly, either."

Gladion sighs, slumping back on his seat. Moon places the map in her backpack again. She has never shied away from listening to rumors or maybe getting in danger because of curiosity, so Gladion shouldn't have expected her to follow that lady's words. Johto is known for its mythological lore and the deep connection Pokémon trainers have with it, something that might not translate that well with other regions.

It shouldn't take very long to find someone who knows where to begin searching. There should be a library in Olivine, maybe a few people to ask in the Lighthouse, and they could challenge the gym too, and maybe–

" _Announcement: we will deck in Olivine City's port shortly. Please, make sure you have your belongings with you before leaving the ship. Thank you for boarding the S. S. Anne!"_

Moon glances at her side and finds Gladion half-asleep already, arms folded, and she nudges him again. "We're here, Gladion."

He stirs awake. His jaw clicks as he yawns. "You could have been more graceful about it."

Moon points at the speaker above them with a grin. "The Captain told me to grab my belongings. I'm only abiding by the rules."

He lets out something between an embarrassed growl and a grunt and he follows her out of the cabin. She feels oddly satisfied with flustering the ever so somber Gladion, even if both know she means absolutely nothing by it.

Well, sometimes she does, and he never really complains, but it's not something she will address today.

When they leave the ship, the port is full of people and it's hard to navigate it, but Gladion's grip on Moon's wrist remains solid as helps them through the masses. The few people that had recognized her were already trying to woo her into taking a photo, and they had just left a Captain behind that had insisted on getting a photo with her.

Gladion squares his jaw in annoyance. "Everyone is the nicest when they have a Champion in front of them. How hypocritical."

She happily skips to his side, and strangely, he doesn't let her go quite yet. His grip isn't invasive. It's warm, familiar. "Lighten up, Gladion! We're here to have fun too, remember?"

He gives her the closest to a sardonic smile she's ever seen on him. "Other than hunting down a legendary creature that, allegedly, saved your life as a child?"

Moon pouts. "When you say it with that tone it loses all the fun there's to it."

Gladion gulps as they swim through the crowd swarming the lobby. "It's not like I don't want to have fun," he says carefully. "I wouldn't want us to go through all the trouble of coming here to be disappointed. For all we know, Lugia might not be in the Whirl Islands anymore."

And Moon grins. "That's what we're here for!" Moon takes hold of his wrist instead and drags her out of the lobby and into the sunlight. "C'mon, let's do some exploring like the old times!"

Moon can feel the doubt in how he drags on after her, but if he wants to make himself hard to convince, then she'll just need to have patience.

* * *

When they reach the Pokémon Center located in Olivine, they're told that they can let their Pokémon roam around as they please. The nurse tells them that they have proper training licenses and that, unless their Pokémon are dangerous to the public, they could let their Pokémon stroll as they please.

This annoys Gladion greatly.

"I still don't understand why on Arceus' name I can't let Silvally play a little," Gladion grumbles, sitting on a bench as Moon plays fetch with her Decidueye. "Your Decidueye isn't exactly suited to walk behind you anyway."

The Pokémon slowly turns to him. " _Koo-ko_ ," Decidueye hoots, his eyes narrowed under his feather sweater.

Moon chuckles and pets him, earning a noise of approval. "He's just salty, Deci. And he's _very_ moody after long trips, don't mind him."

Gladion runs his hands over his face as though he's trying to prove her fact. "Where are we supposed to go now, anyway? You said there should be a library somewhere here, right?"

"I figured we could do some walking before getting to business. It'd do us well to know where we are before exploring." Moon looks around with a finger under her lip. Beside her, Decidueye is looking at the buildings around him excitedly. "Where to begin, though…?"

Gladion stays silent for a few seconds, watching her look around. He must think she can't see him staring at her, but she can, and it's making her feel more uptight than usual. It's not like he makes her nervous per se, but there's something so intense in his eyes that she's perpetually alert, and not in a bad way.

Her cheeks heat up slightly, but she looks at the beach behind them to camouflage that change. Gladion sighs, finally looking into the horizon instead. "Look, I know you don't want anybody to know about your, um, mission. Do we really have to call it that?"

"Considering that's what it is, _yes_."

She grins. He groans at her childish antics, but continues nonetheless. "If we don't tell someone about your intentions, nobody will help us out. Libraries are useless if we don't know where to look."

Moon sighs. Her shoulders sink. "People are just as conservative and privy about their legends as they are in Kanto, and it won't get pretty if some stuck-up douche hears us talking about wanting to meet Lugia. They don't want any tourist hunting down legendaries for fun."

"We're no ordinary tourists, though."

"And we agreed we wouldn't make use of our statuses to speed things up, right?" Gladion narrows his eyes for a second, reconsidering this, and then groans. " _Exactly_. We can do whatever we want here. Nobody's gonna chase us like paparazzi do in Alola."

"Still," Gladion gets up from the stone bench, "we should tell someone about this. Maybe the Professor in this region knows Kukui. He might not mind talking about it if he knows we're reliable people." He puts his hands on his hips. Decidueye eats a berry that Moon is offering him. "I don't want nosy people to know about what we want to do either, but…"

"We just need to find out where Lugia is, Gladion," Moon half-complains, biting her lip. "I know it's not a big deal. I only wanna thank Lugia for its services, but that doesn't mean people won't misinterpret it. It shouldn't be that hard, should it?"

"Well, yes, but–"

"Exactly!" Moon entwines her hands behind her back, grinning. "We just gotta be a little selective with who we tell about this. All we gotta do is find Lugia's den, sneak in without anybody knowing, and done." Moon looks up at the lighthouse, which stands proudly near the shore. "Do you think Lugia will wanna meet us too? Maybe it doesn't like people."

"Arceus, you're loud," Gladion groans, staring at her with a slight frown. He's a few inches taller than her, and the sinking sun washes over his sharp features beautifully. "Maybe Lugia will want to talk with you if you talk less."

Moon folds her arms and tiptoes to meet his glare. "I see now why Lugia not liking people reminds me of someone I know _really_ well."

"What do you–?"

"Oh, goodness! Don't start a fight in public, please! It will scare my Pokémon away!"

Moon and Gladion turn to see a girl looking at them from behind the Pokémon Center's corner. Her white hat is slightly askew and she's confoundingly worried about what she's seeing– so much so that Moon swears her shoulders are trembling.

Her brow flattens in confusion. "Excuse me?"

The girl springs out of her hiding spot, deeming herself caught, and much to the duo's surprise, she drags a boy with her from out of the shadows by the ear. The girl has a Meganium behind her, who coos a greeting as the girl waves with a bright smile.

"Ah, I suppose I was a lil' rude, snooping around like that." She rubs the back of her neck. "My name is Lyra! I'm sorry about that. We just saw you two around the port earlier and we thought your faces were familiar, so…"

" _We_? You're the one who started fangirling, not me," complains the boy. She pouts in response. "I'm not the one fawning over strangers looking cute, don't stuff me into–"

Lyra slaps a hand on the boy's mouth and giggles nervously. Gladion and Moon stare at the scene with deepening expressions of bewilderment. "Don't listen to Ethan! We've been runnin' around and he's kinda tired."

Behind them, Meganium bows its head. Gladion stares at the two, crossing his arms. "It's very rude to follow people around like that."

Lyra entwines her hands in an apology, bowing her head. "Sorry! We were so curious we couldn't help ourselves! And…" She takes a step closer. Moon feels small compared to all these people, especially with that girl's hat. "What was that about wanting to meet Lugia?"

Moon's lips flatten to a thin line and Gladion instantly blames her for everything. "See, I told you you were too loud."

"I wasn't!" Moon counters, placing her hands on her hips. "It's not my fault they were following us."

"Still–"

"It's okay!" Ethan says, waving their discussion off while the girl pets her Meganium, who seems oddly distressed by their discussion. "We're not gonna give ya' an earful or anything! We're just curious, that's all!"

The girl turns to them again. "Yup! It's not every day that tourists come from so far for something that specific. Maybe Team Rocket weirdos sneak around sometimes, but that's beyond redemption."

Suddenly, the three turn to Gladion. They inspect him from head to toe, much to his chagrin. "What is this about?"

Lyra turns to Moon. "He's not from Team Rocket, right?"

Moon shakes her head, smiling. "I can assure you he's anything but that. He might not look the part, but he's a softie deep down."

Gladion releases a strangled noise as he turns his head, and Moon chuckles in amusement while the girl giggles at the exchange. Decidueye and Meganium squeal in joy.

Ethan nods. "That's a relief then! Though we got no clue why you guys are here. I guess we're not gonna have to kick you guys out of Johto, but maybe we can help you guys out."

Gladion stares at the boy with a glare. "What are _you_ specifically going to help us with, anyway? Do you even have a Pokémon?"

The boy blinks at Gladion once, and before Moon can give Gladion a long earful on social etiquette, Ethan swings a Pokéball out of his pocket and a roaring Feraligatr flashes into the scene. Moon swears the ground shakes a little.

She leans to the side. "Told you not to judge a book by its cover. You did that with Hau and look where it got you."

"It's okay! I got a friend that's a little hard to deal with, too."

"Now, what is _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I wanna talk with Lugia," Moon intervenes. "Lugia did me a favor when I was a kid and I wanna show my gratitude. I'm not sure what the situation is here with legendary hunting, but I promise I don't have any intention of doing that."

Beside Lyra, Meganium releases a joyous cry that makes Lyra giggle into her hand. "No need to be so nervous. My Meganium can sense feelings in trainers, she's a real peacemaker! She likes you two a whole lot, it seems. She might like the blondie less, though."

Ethan chuckles. "Considering Meganium wanted to bite Silver's hair off the first time you met, her aim is faulty sometimes."

"He _pushed_ me!"

As the duo dissolves into friendly bickering, Moon nudges Gladion's side. "Is that Silver guy your brother or something? Are you hiding something from me?"

"I _never_ pushed you around," Gladion says with a low voice, nearly a growl. It takes him a moment to continue, as though he's thinking hard about it. "I don't think I ever hurt you physically, have I?"

Moon laughs into her mouth. "Wouldn't have put it past you at that point, though." Gladion concedes to this point with a nod. "But her Meganium prefers me, though. Isn't that lovely?"

Gladion frowns at her – though it looks more annoyed and childish than actually angry, like a jealous child with no candy – and Moon grins devilishly. Lyra and Ethan finally put an end to their discussion and turn to the visitors again.

"In any case, maybe it'd be good we talked about this in more depth. I suppose a public setting isn't very appropriate for something this important," Lyra says, smiling brilliantly. "I'll take you two to the best restaurant in town. We can help ya' out for sure."

"Yeah! We've done the Island Challenge together, so we're pretty good guides!" Lyra nods in agreement as Ethan recalls his Pokémon to its ball. "We'll give ya' a hand. Maybe we can also battle some later."

Lyra smiles, nodding. "Absolutely. Let's get some food."

* * *

When Moon was a kid, her parents would take her to the beach in Olivine City. Sometimes, Kanto's beaches would be flooded with swarms of Magikarp splashing on kids, other times there were just too many people. It only took a ride on the Magnet Train to get to Johto. Moon has fond memories of those days.

One day, Moon had mounted on her mother's – or was it her father's? – Lapras, as she couldn't swim at the time. She had encouraged her Lapras to take her a little further into the sea than permitted, and an unfortunate wave had rocked her off Lapras' back and, before she knew it, she had been sinking into the murky depths of the sea.

She hadn't been sure of what was happening at first. The sun became glassy and blurry, and the sea was so, so cold. The feeling of not having any footing was terrifying, and not knowing how to get out of that place was even worse. Her body had shrunk, tightened, and something had zapped shut within her that prevented her from trying to breathe. Her lungs had burnt for air, her limbs had eventually stopped moving.

She hadn't even realized that she fainted until she woke up again, shielded from the sun in a secluded spot of the beach. Moon had seen brilliant silver above her, gleaming like a halo. The creature had very thin feathers, reflective like gunmetal, but its touch had been soothing and calm.

Moon never got to properly thank the creature or get a better look at it, but as years had gone by, she had read about the legends, the adventures, the mystery surrounding that creature.

It had been Lugia who saved her from the sea.

Lyra gasps. "So Lugia saved you from drowning? That's insane!"

"Yeah! Lugia usually runs away from people, even those who visit it. Ho-Oh and Lugia aren't very friendly to strangers," Ethan remarks, stirring his lemonade. "I think that only the priestesses have ever taken a good, close look at it."

"The priestesses? Do you mean the Kimono Girls?"

Ethan nods. "We needed their help to visit Lugia back then, remember? They're tough people to negotiate with. They're very protective of Lugia's legacy and anything to do with its folklore. If I'm not wrong, most of the contents of the library at Ecruteak City were written by their ancestors."

"Hold on," interrupts Gladion with a levered voice, though Moon can tell he's beyond impressed. "You _met_ Lugia?"

Lyra nods. She laughs nervously. "Well… it didn't work out that well, ya' see."

"It barely counts as a visit. We thought Lugia could help us out with Team Rocket causing trouble all around Johto, but we never managed to ask for help." Ethan sinks into his seat, sighing. "Lugia just looked at us in the eye and disappeared back into the water."

"The Kimono Girls told us that maybe Lugia sensed an urgency in us and grew wary. It happened with Ho-Oh in the past when the Brass Tower burned down. They're really careful around humans like us." Lyra presses her cheek on her palm, thoughtful. "We never had time to get into the actual lore of it all, but you can do that for us."

Moon bites her lip. "How difficult will it be to meet Lugia, then? I don't wanna scare it away either. I know legendaries don't necessarily enjoy human presence, but I never imagined it'd be _this_ bad."

"Take it easy. For all we know, Lugia might remember you," Gladion says. "Lugia has psychic powers, right?"

Lyra nods. "It can communicate with humans through telepathy, like most legendary Pokémon, but that doesn't mean Lugia will use those powers anyway. Your best bet is to give the Kimono Girls the necessary items to summon Lugia, and somehow convince them to summon it. It's how it worked out for us, anyway."

"It did _not_ work for you," Gladion mutters.

" _Gladion_!"

"I don't want people to give you false promises, especially when they can admit their failures so openly," he grunts. "I don't mean to be disrespectful. I have seen enough people try to chase after ghosts for enough years in a lifetime."

Moon sees a twinkle of hurt in his eyes, shy but present all the same. It's the same look he wore around Lusamine all those years ago, watching her go insane and walk into portals to never come back. Moon knows of the emotional toll that experience took on him.

With a sympathetic smile, Moon rubs his arm soothingly, earning a nod from him. Lyra smiles softly despite the bitter air around them.

"Lugia wouldn't have come out of hiding if it hadn't sensed something pure in us. Ho-Oh might be flying around the world looking for a pure heart, but Lugia doesn't move around that much unless it's for a good cause." Lyra reaches for the small card on the table, staring at Moon's photograph in the ID card. "And you're the Champion of Alola, huh? I knew your face was familiar."

"I read a lot about Alolan legends during our Island Challenge! You guys get a sparkly rock and you go to do the Island Challenge, right?" Ethan doesn't quite let Moon talk. "Man, that sounds so interesting. We should go there sometime."

"It… doesn't quite work that way." Moon rubs the back of her neck with a sheepish smile. "And me being chosen by the Tapus doesn't mean I'm worthy of anything, really. I'm only human. Being a Champion isn't much more than a lousy title." Her words turn into a ramble before long. "I'm no more worthy than your average trainer. I saved Nebby and that's about it."

Gladion watches her with a knowing, yet silent twinkle in his eyes. His lips are no more than a thin line. If Moon didn't know any better, she'd say he's conflicted, somehow.

Something thuds in her heart as he observes her, debating on what to say before Lyra interrupts the silence. "Nebby?"

She nods at Lyra. "It's a long story, but it's the baby form of one of Alola's guardians."

"You saved a legendary!" exclaims Ethan too loudly, so much so that Lyra has to lower him down to the table again, gently shushing him. "That's a big deal!"

Moon recalls the perpetual baby talks Lillie had had to use to get Nebby in the bag. They're absurdly fond memories she has of her Island Challenge.

"What matters is that in the same way that Tapu chose you, Lugia wouldn't have saved you if it hadn't seen a pure spirit within you. Ho-Oh and Lugia used to care about humans, but… I don't think it's quite the same anymore, seeing how rarely they're seen nowadays," Lyra explains. "Don't worry, though! I bet Lugia will wanna see you!"

Moon doesn't quite agree with that notion of 'being the chosen one'. Nothing is ever as easy and logical as that, and she might have saved some Pokémon but how does that make her worthy of Lugia's presence?

She bites her lip, conflicted.

Gladion thankfully comes to save the day. "Do you mean those tiny islands at the south of here?"

"Yep! They got pretty creepy Pokémon there, too. Scary stuff! Though I doubt a Champion will be scared about something like that, and a past criminal shouldn't be intimidated at all either, right?"

Gladion's eyebrow twitches. "I was _not_ a criminal."

"I assure you he wasn't," Moon says in a much less deadly voice. "And I promise we've seen enough shit back in Alola to not be scared of a few Rattata for the next ten years."

"Then the next thing would be the Silver Wing and the Tidal Bell, right?" asks Ethan, looking at Lyra. "I'm not sure how we're gonna convince the Kimono Girls that these two have good hearts. I doubt your Meganium's trust means much to them."

"We can worry about that later," Moon says. "Where are those two things? I wouldn't want to break into a museum or some sacred place to get them. I suppose they must be relics of some sort, right?"

Lyra, much to their confusion, waves that statement off and points behind her, out of the window, where the Lighthouse is beginning to shine as the sun sets. "Not really. The Tidal Bell might be harder to get a hold of since the Kimono Girls guard it, but the Silver Wing's up the Lighthouse."

Gladion and Moon look up the tall window. The blond blinks. "I beg your pardon?"

Moon echoes this sentiment. "You keep a relic that important up in the _Lighthouse_?"

"Olivine City's Lighthouse is the most important part of this city. It's the biggest port of Johto and many boats need its guidance." Ethan takes the last sip of his lemonade as he tells the story. "Since we can't count on Lugia's protection as we did ages ago, we're using one of its wings."

Lyra slaps his arm chidingly. "Lugia's still our guardian! It's just very grouchy. If I had to deal with people like Team Rocket grunts and little kids asking for silly wishes, I'd also retreat to the depths of the sea!"

"Agreed," says Gladion into his cold coffee.

"The Lighthouse's manager might not be so lenient about lending the Silver Wing to some strangers, so we might have to swap it for something else without him noticing," Lyra turns to Ethan. "You still have an Ampharos in your team, right? Would she be up to the challenge if we give her some of those fancy Sinnoh Poffins?"

"For sure! She'll love letting loose for once," Ethan says happily, turning to Gladion and Moon again. "We can take care of that tomorrow. For now, it might be best you try to investigate a little in the library at Ecruteak. The scientists at the Ruins of Alph keep their investigations at the library, so you'll find very valuable information there."

"That sounds _neat_. We could take today off for some tourism, hm?" Moon tilts her head in Gladion's direction. "We might even have time to challenge the gym there, look at that."

That's what sparks excitement in Gladion, forever seeking a challenge, but Lyra has bad news for them, gasping with a hand on her mouth. She looks apologetic. "Oh, darn! I forgot to tell you earlier. All the gym leaders in Johto are off to a conference in Kalos, I believe, so all gyms are closed, as well as the League itself."

Moon blinks. The penny drops on her softly. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that meeting. Thank Arceus I got Hau to go there in my stead."

"Sometimes I think Hau would make a better Champion than you. Playing truant in a meeting because you wanted to go on a holiday? Not very responsible."

A flash of something dull and swelling crosses her heart, but she refuses to acknowledge that the jab had hit too close to home.

"Says the one that refused to bring food with us and decided that we should starve to death during the entirety of the ship ride."

"Security wouldn't let us board with stacks of malasadas."

"You didn't even let me try to sneak them in!"

" _Ahem_."

Moon only realizes how close she had scooted to Gladion when she looks back at Lyra, whose cheeks are filled with a true, giggly smile. Ethan watches them, amused, and Lyra stirs her drink absent-mindedly.

"We'll take you to Ecruteak City. You can pay respects to Ho-Oh in the Burned Tower. We might even see a Kimono Girl or two around there, so it'll be good if they see you two in a good light. We can book a hotel there, too."

Moon arches an eyebrow. " _We_?"

Lyra grins. "Of course! If we're gonna be traveling pals, it'd be best we get to know each other better, right?"

* * *

Lyra and Ethan end up tagging along with them to Ecruteak City. Per Lyra's statement, New Bark Town is too far away and her Pidgeot is too tired to fly her there. Moon is marginally more upset about the lack of the Ride Pager system than Gladion is, who consoles her about this through their ride there.

Lyra and Moon share a bike up to Ecruteak while Ethan and Gladion race after them in a fit of rageful competition. When they get there, they get a few drinks, pay their due respects to Ho-Oh at the Burned Tower and they set off to the hot springs hotel on a hill of Ecruteak.

When Moon asked why the tower remained in ruins after all these years, Ethan shook his head.

"They say it's best not to stir the ashes of the fallen. Pokémon live there and like the ruins. We know better than to disturb a place with that much history."

Moon felt inadequately rude after asking that, and the somber sentiment carried itself with her into the hot springs. Moon had never had the pleasure of visiting the many hot spring hotels in Kanto, much less in Alola, so this sounds like a great idea to relax after a pretty rocky day of doing absolutely nothing.

As Moon finishes changing into a cozy pink kimono Lyra had given her, she hears a knock on the door. She turns to it, hearing the knob twist, and much to her surprise, Gladion is behind the door, sporting a very appealing black kimono.

Moon will never understand how a man pale like moonlight and so, so blond rocks black that well. "Lyra is waiting for you at the hall. I figured I would check on you before we say good night."

"Good night? Aren't you gonna come to the hot springs with us?"

Under the pallor of the moonlight and the distant warm hue of the city lights, Moon swears he's blushing. "I, um. The hot springs are gender-divided. I don't think the staff would appreciate us mingling together in the hot springs."

The notion behind what he's saying reaches her two seconds too late, and the image of them hanging out together in a setting so intimate sets her face on fire for being so _dumb_. "Oh, yeah. Yeah! I forgot about that."

Gladion hums, quiet. He's oddly calm and collected after a day as nuanced and hectic as this one, and Moon had almost expected Gladon to go to bed as soon as he had the opportunity to. He sleeps early and rises with the sun, that much she knows from his relentless working schedule.

He's very much awake now, though. Observing her. Staring intensely at her movements as she pretends to not notice his gaze, trying to ignore it all so _whatever_ is going on between them now can remain untouched.

But Moon knows this has been going on for eternities now. The sporadic visits at Aether Paradise. The promenades under the moonlight during weekends. The battles in her League. The soft-spoken words in the wake of a hard day during hangouts at her house. His appreciation for her help, her appreciation for his.

There's much more than care in his eyes that Moon outright refuses to address in her mind.

As she bends down to grab her towel and a few other things, she hears soft steps behind her, and lets her belongings down again, sensing something off with his step. When she turns to him, he's standing right before her, looking down at her with a hand hovering over her.

His hand lowers and falls to his side. He's frowning. "Something is bothering you, isn't it?"

"Is it?"

"Mhm," he hums. "You've been silent the whole afternoon. I doubt Lyra or Ethan noticed, but _I_ noticed."

Moon tilts her head in apprehension, narrowing her eyes with a weak smile. "You're probably a little tired. I'm doing fine."

She takes a step away from him, and he doesn't chase after her. All that's left is bare silence and thin-stretched patience that last for a few seconds too long. She can feel his eyes boring into her back as she picks up her towel from the floor, folding it over her arm.

Moon hesitates. When she turns around to look at him as he approaches her, it feels like the embers within her have turned small, timid. This is nothing like standing at the top of Mount Lanakila where legends will speak of her for generations to come.

She's nothing where they stand now.

In the relatively spacious room, Gladion is all too close for her to not shrink under his intense gaze. She focuses on one of the thousand lines of his black kimono. "Do you think we will find Lugia?"

Gladion crosses his arms. "Why wouldn't we? Lyra said–"

"Forget about what Lyra said," Moon says a tad too tersely. It's usually the other way around, where he interrupts her and Moon is left to listen. "Who says Lugia will be interested in me? I-I'm not that much better than anyone else, I'm a bit of a disaster–"

"I will accept you calling _me_ a disaster," Gladion says. " _You_ , though, are not a disaster. No disaster would have put Alola where it is now. You're the Champion."

"That title means _nothing_ here. Legendary Pokémon don't care about ranks, about hierarchies, nothing. Being a Champion doesn't mean I'm..."

She doesn't dare to finish her thoughts. Moon turns her head to the side, staring out the window and into the faraway city lights.

Amidst the silence, her next words sound much too fragile.

"Lugia might not even come up to meet me."

And it seems like Gladion had seen that possibility coming. "Why wouldn't it? Lyra already mentioned you have a shot."

Moon blinks at him, surprised by his attitude. His eyes, always so green and beautiful, stare at her with gentle intention. "You're surprisingly optimistic for an edgelord like you."

Gladion's lips curl into a dry smirk. "Someone has to be optimistic when you're tired, which you must be if you're doubting yourself that much." Moon huffs a humorless laugh. "If the Tapus chose you, if Lunala and Solgaleo chose you, you should know by now that you're worth the praise, right?"

It's that last word that gets to her.

Moon's body stiffens in apprehension. She had never understood any of that: being the chosen one. During her Island Challenge, Moon had been told over and over that the Tapus had picked her because she was destined to be a hero, but what part of her was truly a hero? What part of her heart should be revered as that of a hero, a legend? How can she call herself a hero when she's nothing more than a decent trainer with a strong team?

Such a title is too heavy for her shoulders to bear. Moon becomes an inch smaller, clutching her towel to her chest.

"The Tapus, Lunala, and Solgaleo had goals for me," Moon explains, brow furrowing slightly. "Lugia doesn't have a single reason to want to meet with me."

Gladion waits it out, gazing at her with bright attention. She grows frustrated under his silence and tries to take a step back, feeling small, feeling stupid – only for him to follow her with one of his own.

Moon lets out a deep, long sigh. "I know it's stupid to be so worked up about someone I just wanna say thanks to. It's important to me and I just don't understand why it would work out that well. I already feel bad about Lyra and Ethan being so invested in our mission."

"I thought you said they're nice."

"They're the _nicest_. I just wanted it to be our thing and our thing only so I didn't drag more people into this. I don't wanna bother people with something this childish. It might not even work."

It's her tone that gives away that there's a hidden issue underneath, but he doesn't dare address it. Moon draws away from him, walking towards the window. One second passes, then two, then three; eventually, Gladion follows her and before she can utter a single word, he's standing before her again.

"It's not childish. Lugia saved your life. It saw something in you _years_ before any deity did. That's a very big deal. You _are_ worth it." His expression is oddly stern, albeit comforting. It feels like a façade rather than genuine intention. "I'm sure you're worth any legendary Pokémon's praise."

It's very uncanny for Gladion to be this comforting, even if he's stumbling around the issue. It almost doesn't look like him, for all emotions in him are always an _almost_ of a spark. It's never made Moon's stomach twist like this. It's never made her heart flutter and swell in emotion.

She wonders why that could be, even if she knows the answer already and she's just delaying the inevitable sweet fall.

"Do you really think that?"

"Everyone in Alola thinks that." He curls a finger under her chin, tipping her face up. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think that, nor would Lyra or Ethan."

"Even if you had to drop your beloved paperwork in Aether Paradise for more than three seconds?"

"You know that if you asked me I'd end up traveling the world for you, or you would end up dragging me along like you've always done."

Moon puffs a chuckle, soft and nearly mute. "How does it feel, then? To be dragged here, with me."

She watches him gulp and follows the move with keen attention. He doesn't peel his eyes off hers, staring at her with a certain intent that betrays his usual cold demeanor. Something is pulsating within him in that intensity that gives Moon pause, making her stop to wonder what it would be like to be seen through his beautiful, green eyes.

Does he see her like the small, undeserving Champion Lugia will show him she is? Is he disappointed? Is she as misplaced as she feels now, in his eyes?

His hand brushes hers, and suddenly, there's a knock on the door.

"Moon! What's taking so long? Are you decent?" Lyra peeks through the door, and right above her, Ethan's head pops up with a grin. "There you are! The springs are gonna grow cold if we keep 'em waiting for much longer!" Her eyes widen considerably as she looks at Gladion now, and she covers her mouth in horror. "Goodness, did I interrupt something?"

Before Moon can shovel her way out of her own grave and explain herself, Ethan is grabbing the back of Lyra's kimono and dragging her away. "We'll see you at the lobby! Don't take too long!"

Lyra's complaints fade into the background within seconds. Moon clutches the fabric on her chest tightly as Gladion recomposes himself and retreats from the scene like she had expected him to do a while ago – but there's no denying in what happened.

In what _almost_ happened, rather. There's a bitter wash of regret in the _almost_ , whirring at the back of her throat and making her stomach lurch.

"I guess we should get going," he mumbles, and Moon nods quickly as she gathers her things and walks away from the window's commodity. "Also, Moon?"

"Y-Yeah?"

Arceus, she can barely talk. Where did her eloquence go and how much will it cost to get it back?

Gladion, however, seems to be in the same predicament, looking at her with this urge to say so much, yet ending up saying so little. "It's, um. I guess it's nothing. Let's get going before Lyra throws a fit."

When he walks away from him, Moon feels like she can breathe.

Even if it feels like lead and there's this heavy weight in her chest telling her that somewhere, somehow, something is starting to change.

And she's not sure how to solve that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> is that angst I'm foreshadowing oH nOoOoOo


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moon falls into a downward spiral, both literal and metaphorically.

The library at Ecruteak is just as big and grand as the one back in Malie City, except this one is a little humbler and the pretentious golden touches on the ceiling have been substituted with a much humbler slate of wood. There aren't too many people at this time of the day, and Moon thinks that's for the best as she packs another book onto her sturdy pile.

She sighs, slumping on her seat. The task had proven itself to be far heavier than she'd anticipated, and as she sits down, it feels like she's putting an extra weight on her soul that stings to carry.

"Moon? Are you okay?"

That's a tough question to answer.

She blinks away her thoughts and focuses on Lyra, who's looking at her with a pinch of concern. Moon gulps. "I'm fine, I was just thinking about Lugia. I can't imagine having my den burnt to the ground by the people I'm protecting."

"Lugia is known to be protective of those it trusts. I think it's why the Kimono Girls don't wanna give away where it could be. People don't always have good intentions."

There's this heavy, solemn tone Lyra talks with when referring to Lugia that doesn't sit well with Moon. It's as though she's carrying a small burden that everyone in this region shares, ashamed of their past, ashamed of Lugia's distrust. Moon can't imagine what having such disconnection with your region's roots could do to a place as mystical as Johto.

"Where could Lugia be, then?" Moon reads a little further, turning a page. "It says here that scientists at the Ruins of Alph were in charge of the research."

"Hm… we could ask them for guidance. If the Kimono Girls won't tell us where Lugia is, they might know something. We can always come back here. I think we've done enough studying for today," Lyra says with a smile, closing the book, beaming.

Moon sighs. It feels like they've done very little investigation and a lot of useless reading, but they know where to go next, at least. She puts her elbows on the table as Lyra patiently grabs all the books Moon had gathered, putting them on their shelves.

Moon looks behind her shoulder, studying Lyra. Sometimes, she reminds Moon of Lillie. Lyra is a bit more energetic than Lillie had been in her older days, and she has this spark of experience that makes her really reliable at the moment. Lillie is also dependable, but she's a little gentler and soft-spoken. Moon finds them equally great and equally comforting to be around.

When she thinks of Lillie, she thinks of Gladion. Moon looks at the clock. "Do you think the boys will take much longer? We should grab some food before heading to the Ruins of Alph."

"I hope not. Ethan gets fired up whenever someone challenges him, and the Lighthouse is full of trainers at this time in the morning."

"As long as they don't come in, full of muck and stuff, I guess they should be–"

The door to the library slams open and Moon hears distinct steps rushing to their spot in the library. Moon and Lyra peek from behind a bookshelf to see Gladion and Ethan shuffling in their direction, in such a rush that Moon briefly fears they're being chased by the police.

Ethan waves at them, catching his breath while Gladion leans against the table, panting. "Sorry we're so late, we got into a bit of a pickle!"

Moon narrows her eyes, looking at Gladion's state. "Define _pickle_."

"Ethan's Ampharos made too much noise when we tried to swap her with the Silver Wing and the manager caught us red-handed," Gladion says tersely. "We told him we only needed it for a moment–"

"You told him to stop screaming," Ethan cuts in, and Gladion nudges him a little too roughly.

"He refused to let us go, and, um." Gladion avoids Moon's questioning eyes, pursing his lips. "Silvally detected trouble and he came out of the ball on his own."

The intimate and troubled tone of his voice tells Moon he's really concerned about this, and it takes her two seconds to catch up with his line of reasoning. Nobody outside of Alola, maybe only Aether, knows of Silvally's existence. Silvally is a freak show of parts and limbs for anyone who hasn't stepped into Aether's troubled past.

"Was, uh," she has trouble finding her voice, "did anyone say anything about Silvally?"

"We rushed out of there with our Pokémon, but I left Ampharos there as a sign of good faith. Most people ran away when they saw my Scizor and Gladion's Pokémon, but some still chased after us," says Ethan, just as troubled as Gladion. "We lost them at the theater, and the Kimono Girls were there–"

"Hey, that's fantastic! We know where to go now!" Lyra says a bit too loudly.

"Yeah, but, um…"

Ethan gives Moon and Lyra a conflicted look that makes Moon tense in impatience. He's hiding something. Hau had given her that look a thousand times before. "What happened?"

"He spilled everything," Gladion grunts, crossing his arms with a fierce scowl. "They asked him what he was in a hurry for and he told them _everything_. And with everything I mean _Moon'_ s everything."

Lyra gasps, covering her mouth with a pout. "Ethan! That was not your story to tell!"

"I know! It's just– I was so nervous and so adrenaline-high I couldn't keep quiet. Gladion told me to shut up and I got nervous and I just _suck_ at keeping secrets." Ethan looks sincerely apologetic, which makes Moon rising ire soften. "I'm so sorry, Moon. They seemed genuinely curious and concerned that we had turned to the bad side."

"They thought you stole the Silver Wing?" asks Moon, biting her lip. "I didn't want you to get in trouble."

This is _exactly_ why she didn't want to bother anyone with her issues: now her secret ambitions had been spilled, which isn't _that_ bad – but getting Ethan and Gladion in trouble for theft is something she will take issue with.

Thankfully, Ethan is taking it in stride. "It's fine! I gave it back to them years ago, I have the right to take it back! I tried to explain it to him but he wouldn't listen, and I left a very good fixer-upper."

"Still, we shouldn't linger around here. I assume the Lighthouse's manager will call the police, and that won't do good to the investigation." Gladion approaches Moon and rummages in his red backpack. "Here. Be careful with it. It looks fickle."

The Silver Wing glitters under the warm lights of the library. It looks feathery, light to the touch, and as blindly reflective as she had expected. It looks like something out of Olivia's jewelry shop.

Moon tucks it into her backpack, careful not to crush it. "I guess we go meet the Kimono Girls at the theatre, right? Will there be anyone at this hour?"

"Rehearsals start a little after four in the afternoon, so we should be fine. I think _The Duskull of the Opera_ will be performed tonight! We could drop by when all this is over!" Lyra squirms excitedly, looking at Ethan with a happy gleam in her eyes. "We can go, right? You owe me one, remember?"

While Ethan scratches the back of his head, looking for an answer, Moon's eyes gleam and she turns to Gladion. "What about we tag along? I've heard really good things about that screenplay."

Gladion, a few inches taller than her, looks at her for a few seconds like she has the answer in her eyes. Much to her relief, he ends up nodding and showing her the closest to a smile she's ever seen on him.

Moon turns to Lyra and Ethan again, grinning with renewed energy. "Let's go to the theatre then. I wouldn't wanna keep the Kimono Girls waiting!"

But it's not that easy to keep herself cheerful, forgetting about the prospect of an outing with friends and remembering that she will soon come to terms with her value as not only a trainer, but an actual person. The Island Challenge hadn't tested her worth as a person many times, and she _knows_ a legendary doesn't have any reason to want to see her, it's not like she's worthy, it's not like she has the pure soul Lugia seeks, and–

Right as she feels herself start to shake, a gentle hand clasps on her shoulder, and when she turns, she finds Ethan nudging her backward for a talk. Gladion and Lyra look behind them, confused, but Ethan just waves at them to keep going.

Moon blinks at him, confused, trying to will her insecurities out of the front of her mind. "Um, are you okay? You were spacing out there."

"Yeah, sorry. I was thinking about the Kimono Girls and just, um, everything." That's a bit of a backhanded lie, but Ethan nods nonetheless. "What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you something. Uh, it's about Gladion."

Moon is almost concerned until she winces, foreseeing trouble. "Arceus, did he do anything to you?"

"Ah, no! He was pretty nice, actually. I hadn't expected him to be as nice as he was when we had to run away from the manager's men." Ethan still rubs his forearm, chuckling nervously. "I mean, he's kinda impatient. And a little rude. But I get why you two get along so well. You must be really good friends!"

For reasons she should know about already, a dim blush stings her cheeks. "I… thanks. Is that what you wanted to talk about, or…?"

"Darn, I got carried away. Um. I wanted to ask you about Gladion's Pokémon."

She arches an eyebrow. "His Pokémon?"

"Yeah, uh… he's got one that looks like a dog, right? But it has a beak and a fishtail and bird claws…" Moon's face drains of all color. "Yeah, Silvally! That's the name, right?"

Moon almost regrets putting her hand over Ethan's mouth. Nobody in this region knows about Silvally's existence – unless Faba's been acting behind the scenes. "Don't say that name so loudly. What's up with Silvally?"

She withdraws her hand. Ethan immediately apologizes. "Sorry! It's just that, um, Gladion was very protective of that Pokémon and I don't think I've ever seen one like that before." Ethan looks at the sky in contemplation. "In all fairness, I haven't been to Alola so maybe that's a common species there, but judging by your reaction, it isn't, right?"

Moon squares her shoulders. "No, but it's a very long story that's not for me to tell. If you wanna know, ask Gladion– well, maybe don't, because he's really defensive of that subject. And I'd recommend you don't mention the name to anyone you know either."

Ethan is looking at her like she's about to slap him. "So he's just as short-tempered as he looks, huh?"

"You've seen nothing yet."

And they leave it at that.

* * *

The theatre is, thankfully, as empty as Lyra had promised. It's surprisingly small for a city as big as Ecruteak, but it's spacious enough to host the five Kimono Girls that are twirling on stage for no discernable reason.

When they catch sight of Moon, they stop their movements and gasp at the newcomers. The one that stands at the middle bows at them gracefully. The rest follow closely.

"Good afternoon. I suppose you must be the girl Ethan so graciously told us about a little ago." The Kimono Girl steps forward until she's standing on the edge of the stage. "My name is Zuki. Come forth, please. I would like to take a closer look at you."

Moon takes one step and Gladion nearly follows her, but Moon gestures to him to stay behind. This is something she has to do eventually, and if she was going to prove her worth to a bunch of priestesses, she shall as well do it alone and be beaten up by her insecurities alone.

As Moon approaches the stage, she can tell these women are the definition of virtuosity and grace. They stand so tautly and so carefully, watching her with calm eyes, that she feels out of place. The many things she's seen in Ultra Space and the many battles she's partaken on in Alola had stripped Moon of most of her delicate sides.

She isn't as pure as Lyra, Ethan, and these women are. She's not the same. She's done terrible things too, she's seen far too many things, she's only lucky, she–

"It's nice to finally meet you," Zuki says, bringing Moon's focus back to present. "We have been awaiting your arrival. We're glad you have come to us as quickly as we had anticipated. It seems you are looking for something of great value, right?"

Moon's brow quivers. "I suppose Ethan didn't say _everything_ after all, huh?"

Zuki giggles into the large sleeve of her kimono. "Absolutely not. We would like to hear you tell your story before we jump into more physical ways of testing."

"Physical ways of testing?"

"Us Kimono Girls are avid trainers, just like you. Our duties might be limited to looking after the legacy of our guardians, but we can hold our own just as well as the typical trainer." Zuki beckons her to come closer. "And every trainer has a story, right?"

Moon assumes they don't want her to tell the _whole_ story, so she decides to keep it short.

"When I was a little kid, I almost drowned and Lugia saved my life. I've been reading into what Pokémon it could have been and I'm pretty sure it was Lugia. I don't make this stuff up. I would _never_ make this up," Moon assures. Her voice is firm. "Now that I've done the Island Challenge in my region, I wanted to come here to say thank you to Lugia for, um. Saving my life. I don't think legendary Pokémon do this as a job so I wanted to thank Lugia for going out of its way for my safety."

She finishes talking like she's just run a mile, and Zuki hums appreciatively. "Indeed, Pokémon don't often take the burden of saving humans they don't consider worthy."

Lyra chirps up from the public's seats. Moon notices Gladion has sat down. "See? I told you you were worthy, Moon!"

The Kimono Girl raises a hand.

"But," she takes a small breath, "that alone means next to nothing considering how reserved Lugia and Ho-Oh are nowadays." Her eyes sink to the bracelet wrapped around Moon's wrist, and then to the necklace Moon has hidden under her shirt: her Champion necklace. "I see you also have the Tapus' approval. Remarkable."

Moon blinks with wide eyes. "You know the Tapus, too?"

Zuki nods. "Kimono Girls travel all around the world, but we are not as prominent in Alola due to the searing heat of the region. Our clothes are more than a gimmick, you see."

Moon nods quietly, and then, Zuki moves the sash around her kimono a little and reveals something Moon should have anticipated: a Pokéball.

"If you wish to travel to the Whirl Islands to seek Lugia out, we would like to test your might as the Champion, as well, and see if your endurance stays true to the might you are rumored to possess."

Moon swiftly takes out the Pokéball where she's keeping Decidueye. She hesitates. "I only have one Pokémon."

The Kimono Girls' smiles widen a little. Zuki throws her Pokéball, revealing an Umbreon similar to Gladion's. "That should make the challenge more enjoyable, don't you think?"

That's fair. "Any rules?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"This theatre looks old. I wouldn't wanna break a wall or something."

"I… I suppose we can make an exception this time."

Moon shrugs and tosses Decidueye into battle. There's one thing Moon isn't often insecure about, and that's her prowess as a trainer. She can feel Lyra, Ethan, and especially Gladion watching her – no matter the years they've been friends, there's something in his green eyes that constantly catches her off guard and stokes the flame within her. It's a subtle gaze, a look of attention he rarely shows to anyone else.

Luckily for her, the Kimono Girls aren't on the same level as her, and years of training have drilled instincts into her that no ordinary trainer possesses.

As she takes the Kimono Girls' Pokémon down one by one, Lyra and Ethan lean close to Gladion, fearful. "Moon is… a little vicious, isn't she?"

Gladion snickers at the shake in Lyra's voice. Moon commands Decidueye in the background and he hoots in thrill. "If you think I'm good, she's probably about ten times better. She's not Alola's Champion for no reason."

The only Pokémon that gives her an ounce of trouble is one of the girls' Flareon. Each girl had come with only a single Pokémon – all of them being Eevee variants – and all of them had handled Moon's blows well.

When she's done, she's relieved to admit all Decidueye will need is a quick visit to the Pokémon Center and a good night's rest. After treating him with a potion and praising his great work, Moon recalls Decidueye as the last Kimono Girl, Kuni, gapes at her in horror.

Despite the shock, she recovers quickly and graces Moon with an honored smile, though Moon can detect the light shake of her shoulders. In the background, the other Kimono Girls are healing their Pokémon. "You truly are a passionate trainer. Despite your prowess, you treat your Decidueye with kindness."

Moon is honored by this praise and bows back. "Thank you. Deci has been by my side since the very beginning." She pats his Pokéball appreciatively. "I've seen a lot of bad people around Alola. I can assure you I'm not as brain dead as them."

After healing her Umbreon, Zuki comes back to the front. "I assume not everyone in Alola is as patient and kind-hearted as you." Moon doesn't have time to answer that. "Would you consider yourself a kind, pure-hearted trainer, Moon?"

That question pulls at her heartstrings. It sounds like a trick question, one so tactfully slipped into the conversation that Moon's taken out of focus for a second. At the moment, with so much responsibility on her shoulders, with her insecurities hanging from Lugia's possible rejection, Moon is tempted to lie through her teeth to camouflage her insecurities.

She's never been good at lying, and she's even worse at lying to herself. Lunala and Solgaleo might have come to her, but that's because Alola had been in danger. The Tapus might have chosen her, but that's only because they had foreseen the danger that Lusamine, Team Skull, and the Ultra Beasts would unleash into Alola. She's the Champion because she was the first to make it there. She was just the _first_.

She's always been the last option for everything; the only thing Alola could resort to.

How does that make her worthy of anything?

Moon folds her arms, hesitating. She's aware she's taking a little too long to answer, so she decides that if there's anything she's known for, it's her honesty.

"I-I'm not perfect. I wish I was, but I'm not perfect and everyone around me knows that." Moon's hand lands on her Decidueye again. Her eyes travel to her bracelet, staring at it with a distant glint. It all happened so long ago. "I'm not sure why the Tapus chose me, and if I have to be honest, I don't know _why_ I was chosen when I know so many other people who could fill my role. I know I don't have any ill intentions, and I would _never_ hurt a Pokémon, but I have done bad things, too."

The Kimono Girl waits it out.

Moon sharply breathes in. "I've had to witness things that don't make me a pure person. I can't pretend to be pure after battling so many Pokémon. I don't know what makes me worthy of all I have now, and I can't pretend to know the answer to your question because that just wouldn't–"

"She's not telling the truth."

Moon whips her head to Gladion, who she realizes has stood up and is approaching them, standing under the stage with a Pokéball in his hand. Moon's mouth parts at his rude interruption, and the Kimono Girls can only eye him with skepticism.

"Gladion–"

"You said it yourself once, right? We're our worst critics," he says. His shoulders are awfully tense, Moon realizes. He turns to Lyra and Ethan. "I need you two to leave for a moment."

Lyra tilts her head. "Why? We can help too!" She looks at Moon insistently. "We might have been friends for only a little, but we know you have a good heart! You're not being fair to yourself!"

Gladion squares his jaw. "That's not what this is about and I need you to leave." He tosses his Pokéball up and down. "It's nothing personal. I need to talk to them privately and I don't want anybody but them to know about this."

She nearly protests them but Moon shoots Ethan a look of ' _he's being serious_ ' and he grabs Lyra's arm to quickly drag Lyra out of the theatre. When the doors have been shut again, Gladion sighs.

Moon lets out a horrified gasp when Gladion takes Silvally out. His screech has a metallic, happy echo to it, and the Kimono Girls are visibly tense.

"Moon is stubborn and she's the loudest, chattiest person I know next to Melemele's kahuna. She's got a terrible sense of direction and she can't take a break from working, but she's working so much because she wants to be the best for the people of Alola."

Silvally releases a trill of agreement, and Moon cal already see where this is going. "Gladion, you don't have to–"

"This is Silvally," he says simply, refusing to look at Moon in the eye. She wishes he would. "He was created in a laboratory. Scientists that worked under my mother's command performed horrible experiments on him. When I realized what they were doing, I ran away from home with him, and I met Moon shortly after."

One of the Kimono Girls releases a horrified whimper. "They _experimented_ with Pokémon? That sounds hideous!"

Oh, the naïve standards these graceful women live with. Moon gulps as Silvally looks at her and cheerfully coos.

Gladion nods solemnly. It's a look that she had seen too often when they first met when they weren't friends yet. "He was impossible to control, but even when he went wild and harmed me, Moon was kind to Silvally. She would treat his wounds after a battle, then she would request to treat mine, and she just wouldn't mind her own business. She's insufferably stubborn and she just can't help herself."

With her hand on her chest, she watches him look at her once, and then turn to the Kimono Girls.

His frown deepens. "She's been helping Alola all along. She helped me, she helped Silvally, and she has helped everyone we know. Alola just… wouldn't be Alola if it weren't for her. If there's anyone in this world that deserves to visit Lugia, it has to be her. Be it with me or without me."

A beat of silence passes.

"Without you?" Moon questions, frowning. "What do you mean?"

"I belonged to a group of criminals. I'm… not pure myself. I will never consider myself pure-hearted after all I have done to have somewhere to live under." His lips turn into the familiar straight line Moon has always known. "If I have to say the same speech a thousand times, then so be it. At least until Lugia understands what I'm trying to say."

Moon's heart is filled with so much awe and shock she's left with nothing to say. All she can do is stare at Gladion as he stares at the Kimono Girls with the ferocity and intensity he'd only show to an enemy, even if he's keeping himself collected and calm.

Zuki glances down at his wrist. "You… also have the Tapus' approval, I see."

"Hm?"

"You are wearing one with the Sparkling Stone in it," Zuki points out, smiling gently. "And I had never expected you to defend your friend so fiercely… even if we knew of all you said beforehand."

Gladion and Moon's eyes widen. "Um… excuse me?"

Zuki turns to Moon, and gestures at one of the Kimono Girls' Espeon to come forth. The Pokémon makes a noise similar to a meow, and then rubs its forehead against Moon's knee, wagging its tail.

Espeon's trainer, Sayo, nods at Moon gently. "Espeon, like most Psychic Pokémon, can read a trainer's heart in a similar way to how Lucarios can detect auras. Espeon knew of your worth the second it saw you. It saw your nerves, your worries, and knew you were taking this seriously. You truly have pure intentions."

From the corner of her vision, Moon can see Gladion clutching his right hand, clearly embarrassed with himself. Moon is tempted to hurry over to his side and assure him he's fine, but that can wait.

Zuki takes a step closer to Moon. "We are willing to summon Lugia to your side and let it decide what it wants to do. I assume you have already gathered the Silver Wing from the Lighthouse, right?"

"We have, though we still need the bell."

Zuki hums, curling a finger under her chin. "The bell is sadly not under our custody anymore. After Team Rocket's final disbandment, we relegated that responsibility to the staff at the Ruins of Alph in hopes of making it unreachable. After all, the Ruins of Alph are often regarded as unsafe because of the swarm of Unown in that area."

"Are those Unown dangerous?" asks Gladion, petting Silvally before recalling him to his Pokéball. "I know they're shy. There aren't many of them in Alola unless you look deep into the canyons in Poni Island."

"They aren't particularly aggressive, but there have been cases of Unown leading trainers stray to let them meander the ruins for days, sometimes even weeks. They aren't malicious. They just lure people in."

Well, Moon wouldn't call a basic case of abduction _kind_ , either. "Where in the Ruins of Alph is the bell located?"

"You can ask the staff about it. We asked to not be told about it lest the information spreads." Zuki approaches Moon and brings a hand to her hair. "Take this with you and show it to the head researcher. He will know I sent you there."

Zuki hands Moon her hairpiece, sparkling under the dim lights of the theatre, and as Lyra and Ethan stumble into the place with nervous smiles, Moon can't help but wonder if pure intentions make her worthy.

She can't help but wonder if pure intentions will ever be enough to be who she wants to be.

* * *

The Ruins of Alph are silent like a graveyard and there's a certain tension in the air that makes a whisper a sin. The rustle of the trees around the facility overlaps with faint, unsure steps. Rocks of many shapes litter the sandy paths, traced by the cracked sunset.

When Moon knocks on the scientists' shed, a man with a shaky demeanor and dusty glasses ushers them inside. After a brief chat and showing him Zuki's hairpiece, he shifts his glasses and takes out a small, equally dusty map.

"One of my co-workers hid the bell in a corridor that's pretty hard to reach. It should be in the bottom floor of the ruins, but I have no idea how to access it."

Gladion crosses his arms, frowning. "How can you _not_ know? Don't you work here?"

"I'm the leading researcher, not a miner. I'm in charge of discovering history, not tampering with its remains." The researcher rubs his stubbed chin, humming. "Now that I think 'bout it, a boy your age came by earlier looking for something. Maybe he knows better than I do."

Lyra's eyes widen. "A boy our age? Did he happen to have red hair?"

The researcher nods. "He looked pretty angry, so I didn't dare tell him anything. Since Team Rocket's gone now, it can't be more than some boy looking for something to explore."

Much to Moon's concern, Lyra and Ethan are visibly worried about this. They don't address the subject until they're out of the shed, and it's only when Moon pokes them for an explanation that they spill the beans.

"We'll take you there, we've been here a thousand times!" Lyra seems initially cheerful but then turns concerned. "Though… we might stumble with an old friend of ours. And he's not particularly nice to talk to."

Ethan folds his arms with a knowing smile. "You're being unfair."

Lyra pouts, crossing her arms defiantly. "He didn't push you around. No wonder you're so nice to him!"

While Lyra and Ethan engage in another charade about Silver's antics, Moon and Gladion walk to the closest entrance they can spot. The researcher had told them that any entrance would lead them into the caverns and that the several 'archeological enigmas' – whatever that might mean – had been solved a while ago.

As they stop by one of the entrances, they find it to be empty. There's a hole on the ground with a set of ladders that lead underground. "This place is pretty dusty."

"Well, I doubt they would call these _ruins_ if they were spotless," Gladion counters.

She rolls her eyes, stepping inside. "You're so funny sometimes."

The walls are carved with figures that resemble Unowns in their many shapes and forms. Their resemblance to their alphabet still goes amiss for Moon, and when she approaches the wall, she's unsurprised to find out she can't read a single word carved on the wall.

Gladion, sensing her curiosity, walks towards her. "It's just a listing of names. They look like human names."

If Moon were focused on what matters, maybe she'd make a witty comment and run with the many theories rushing around her mind. Instead, nothing comes out.

All she can do is realize that, as always, someone she knows is more prepared than her for everything. Lillie had once told her that Unown language is very easy once you get used to it, but Moon had never had time to investigate the matter. She's always been too busy with her duties as Champion to do much more than that; and it's not like she'd put it to any use anyway.

She's not much more than a battling machine to Alola, after all.

Moon sighs, curling her fingers around her backpack as she steps back with no more words said.

Moon doesn't realize Gladion isn't following her until she feels his stare on her neck from across the room.

"I think we need to talk."

She turns her head to him, blinking in confusion. "What about?"

" _This_ ," he points to her with his hand. His frown, forever sketched in his features, deepens as Moon tenses in apprehension. "What you said earlier to the Kimono Girls worries me, and you being so quiet makes me think you're still thinking the same way."

There's a sharp accusation in his voice that Moon instantly despises. It's like they're back in the old days where anything she'd do would make her feel inadequate under his scrutiny.

Moon is sure he doesn't mean for it to come across that way, and maybe she's making things up. She gulps. "I'm fine. Let's get in before we stumble with that Silver guy–"

" _Moon_." The way he calls her name, terse and impatient, makes her halt. "What's wrong?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It _does_ matter–"

"No, it _doesn't_!"

With her back to him, Moon can't gauge his reaction, but his silence is enough of a reaction and as much as she'll ever get from him. Her shoulders shake and she bites her lip to conceal a sob as something rocks in her stomach, bottling in any eloquence and turning it all into a whirlwind of things she wants to say, but simply _can't_.

Moon braces herself, staring pointedly at the dark hole leading underground. "It never mattered, am I supposed to think it matters now?"

Gladion inhales sharply. "It has always mattered–"

"No, it never did, and it doesn't matter now." Moon hates being like this. She hates releasing her feelings like this to the world. She hates throwing all this to Gladion. She _hates_ herself. "It never mattered whether I was a good person or not to get all I have. It never mattered to the Tapus whether I was worthy or not. It never mattered to _anyone_ who I was, Gladion. It still doesn't. It _never_ will."

She stutters at the end and gasps for air when she's done. How can she have enough air to talk but have absolutely no strength to move? Her lungs are screaming for her to breathe but she fears crying if she dares take a breather.

"Moon, the Tapus chose you for a reason. _Alola_ chose you for a reason."

"They _needed_ me, Gladion. Had it been anyone else in my place and they would have been chosen. I'm _needed_. That doesn't make me the hero you all think I am. Being a moderately good trainer doesn't make me any better than some Team Skull grunt." Moon breathes through her nose, storing the air within her. "How is Lugia going to meet someone who had most of it all handed to her?"

Steps approach her from behind, and when he talks again, she can almost feel his words against her neck. He's cautious unlike she's ever seen him. "You didn't have anything handed to you. You've seen too many things for any normal person to handle, Moon. And you did most of it alone."

She knows he's talking about Ultra Space. Moon squares her shoulders. "Ultra Space was different and it… that was easy."

Oh, she knows it wasn't easy. At the woke of war and rage, Moon had been stirred awake by nightmares of Nihilego floating into her house and taking her away. She had dreamed of suffering the toxins' effects, and for days on end, Moon had been convinced that Ultra Space had changed her forever.

Sometimes, she still tastes the acidic tang of that distorted sea on the ceiling of her mouth. She can say it was easy. She knows it wasn't.

And Gladion knows that. "It might have been easy for you, which sounds like bullshit, but it meant a lot to Alola. It meant a lot to Lillie. I meant a lot to me. And you know that."

"I know it did." Her head lowers a little, ashamed of herself. She should be satisfied with that, but why is it that it can't be enough? "But how does that make me worthy, Gladion?"

Moon turns to him in a moment of vulnerability. His eyes are unusually focused, bright, staring at her as though he's waiting for her to snap out of it or cry. There's a haunted wariness, a careful gaze. He's got the eyes of a guarded animal, waiting for her to talk.

She doesn't know if he's putting a shield between them so she can fall on him or if she's hurting him with her words. He's not saying anything, and all he does is stare, stare, stare.

Moon takes a deep breath, blinks the tears away, and turns towards the entrance that goes underground.

"You accepted everyone when they needed you the most," Gladion says, his voice raspy and caught in emotion. An emotion Moon had never heard from him. "I can't know _why_ you were chosen, but I know why we all chose you as our Champion. I can assure you that everyone in Alola knows your worth, Moon. You wouldn't have gone through all you have if it weren't for your help."

Her eyes widen as she listens to him speak. One of her hands clutches the rims of her shirt, shaking as a foreign feeling writhes at the pit of her stomach. A mixture of emotion, distrust, trust, desperation, fear. Fear. _Fear_.

Moon has never been afraid of anything before except herself. Except for her own expectations. Except for her future.

Gladion sighs gently. "You accepted _me_ and Lillie when we needed you. Lugia will see you for who you truly are, and I _hate_ seeing you feel like this when it's not who you are, Moon."

A distant breeze blows into the room and shakes the dead dust.

Moon feels small.

"I'm not the hero you all think I am. If I were a hero, maybe things would've been different. Maybe I would've stopped the Ultra Beasts from making all the damage they did to Alola, maybe I'd be making sure everyone is safe instead of sitting on a throne I don't deserve."

"How can you say you don't deserve to be where you are when you have saved so many lives, Moon? That's absolutely nonsensical!"

Moon turns to him, brow knit as tears sting her eyes. "How can you say that's nonsensical?"

A growl slips into his angered words. "Because that's why I–!"

Gladion abruptly shuts up. His eyes widen as he catches himself in the act. Moon waits for him to continue talking, she waits for him to maybe, just maybe show her what he's feeling. He always lives with his doors slightly ajar, never wide open or close. Getting an earnest opinion out of him is an impossible task, that much she knows – but Moon would _die_ to know what he's thinking.

She doesn't want him to hold himself back from speaking out like he's been doing all along.

"What was that?"

"It's nothing," Gladion mumbles, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Forget about it. It's nothing."

She expects him to tell her something else, to reassure her that their bond isn't nothing, that she's something else other than a trainer to someone. Moon counts the seconds it takes him to look at her again, and when he does, it's been ten seconds and he's conflicted, unsure of what to say.

" _Nothing_?" Moon asks, tense, feeling alien anger rise from her very being. "Is that all you can say after all these years?"

"What else do you want me to say?" Gladion's tone is disbelieving, incredulous, eyes thin in scrutiny and irritation. "I already said all I had to say. Why does my opinion even matter? I want to help you but it's not up to me, I already told you I'm _not_ reliable! You just never listen!"

"I wanted you to come with me because I rely on you!"

"Well, maybe I shouldn't have come here then!"

His words strike her like thunder. Moon is stunned into silence, and a second later, his eyes widen and a wave of _something_ washes over his eyes, seeing her expression fall.

When he reaches for her, she's the one to recoil this time. "Moon–"

"There are other things to worry about now," Moon says quietly, even though this is only _her_ business and she should tell Gladion to go home at this point. "Let's get going."

Gladion, however, knows best, and Moon knows that. He might be awfully reserved and cold to the touch, but over the years, Moon has learned he's more perceptive than most. Part of her knows that her fears have no reason to exist, while another resents herself for expecting something from him when she's known all along that whatever he feels will forever be locked away.

Even if he's looking at her with this intent that screams so many things but, as always, shows so very little.

They make their way into the cave silently. Moon leaps off the ladder into the dark caverns of the Unown, and much to her relief, there's nothing to be found other than rubble, debris, and the footprints of people who were here not that long ago. Torches hanging from the wall watch their silent walk.

An unfortunate breeze rocks through the passage and Moon shivers. Gladion takes a step closer to her. "The researcher said we need to make it to the last floor, right?"

Moon nods, and in their search for some sort of ladder leading down, they stumble with a trainer looking at a wall with keen interest. He has bright red hair and a stiff posture, and when he hears their steps, it takes him less than a minute to get angry.

"Who are you? You're not from here, are you?" Not even Gladion had been this cold and stern during his early days, and that says something. "What are you doing here? What are you after?"

"That's none of your business," Moon bites back. "We're looking for something important, and I _really_ don't have the patience to battle you to get you out of the way."

The boy mutters her words under his breath and _something_ awakens within him that makes him brighter with fury, pointing a finger at her in furious accusation. "It's you! You two must be the nosy foreigners looking for Lugia, aren't you?"

Moon and Gladion perk up at the accusation, and Gladion, never scared of confrontation, steps forward. "What is it to you? We're not criminals, and we definitely don't go around pointing fingers like you are doing now."

The boy smirks but doesn't look happy at all. His whole expression is twitching in agitation. "Hmph, some Champion you are, having a punk defend you like that."

"And may I know who's doubting my prowess?"

The boy puts a hand on his hip, staring at her arrogantly. "I'm Silver! I've heard you've been mingling with Ethan and Lyra, and those two might be easy to convince but I'm not gonna let you through! Who do you think you are, thinking you can waltz in and just _visit_ Lugia?"

Those were very tactless words spoken at the wrong time, and her voice quivers in emotion. "That's none of your business!"

"It is! If Lugia hasn't made itself present in front of a trainer like me, why would it do so for _you_?" Silver clenches his fist in anger, squaring his jaw. "What do you have that everyone is so in love with? You must want to hurt Lugia, just like everyone does!"

Gladion is the one to step in this time. "We don't want to do anything to Lugia, stop assuming shit like that already. This isn't a competition."

A low growl reverberates from Silver's chest, echoing throughout the corridor. "I won't stand some strangers coming in here like they own the place! Team Rocket already caused trouble for us, who tells me you're not just the same? You have no right!"

Moon is about to counter his argument, but Silver smoothly takes out a Pokéball and tosses it into the battlefield, releasing a Typhlosion that roars loudly at Moon and Gladion. "I won't let you through without a fight. I'll never let you through!"

Gladion takes a look around, about to say something before Moon pushes him behind her and tosses Decidueye into the battle. An unknown type of adrenaline is throttling through her veins like fire, something similar to when she's high up in the dome of her Champion Room.

But right now she's not a Champion. Right now, she's nobody. Right now she doesn't know what to do, she's stuttering, she's paralyzed, she's frozen–

Silver gives his Typhlosion an order that is soon deafened by rumble under her feet, under her Decidueye, who koos in confusion at the debris that's moving around them. Moon's first instinct at the growing danger is to recall Decidueye, and Gladion rushes to her as Silver taunts her, telling her she's a coward for retreating from a battle, telling her that she's worthless, that–

Moon feels something pull open under her feet, and before she loses her footing, she shoves Gladion to a side and throws Decidueye's Pokéball away from danger as an abyss is ripped open under them.

Moon latches onto the crumbling ridge of the collapsing corridor. Around her, everything is falling apart all too quickly. Within a second, Moon takes a look around her: Silver is staring at her in unbidden shock, and hurried steps are rushing to her through the dust, through the rubble, to catch her.

And even if they're angry with each other, despite their previous argument and the wall they had just built between them, Gladion frantically dives in to reach for her and save her, screaming her name, but he's a second too late.

The last thing she sees is the look of abject fear in his once beautiful features and the darkness closing in.

And before she can scream, it's over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moon finds pieces of herself in places she had never expected.

Moon finds herself trapped, and it's as though the world has swallowed her whole. For a split second, it feels like she's underwater, breathing in the bubbles of sea salt and floating in numb, sweet nothingness. Something aches at the back of her head and something warm is coating her back like a thick gloss.

It's unbearably warm, unbearably heavy, unlike water.

That's when her eyes flutter open, and all she's met with is a dark ceiling, the eerie drip-dropping hitting on the floor and the ominous vibration of faraway Unown screeching in unison. There's something heavy on her torso and another heavy thing on her head. It slides off as Moon shifts to stand, but the second she tries to even _sit_ , her body screams out in pain.

Whatever was warm earlier is getting warmer and she's feeling increasingly numb. She's never felt this tired, and despite the pain, Moon feels oddly comfortable. She wonders for how long she's been here and if Typhlosion's Earthquake had put anyone else in danger.

At least Gladion should be safe, as well as Decidueye. Through her blurry sight she has no way of seeing an exit, but her eyes flicker to a small, green creature lying on the ground.

It releases a pained whimper, and Moon's first thought is that she has potions in her bag to cure the creature. She's unsure if they'd work on herself, but if she's to die here, at least she'll do if after saving someone.

"Arceus fuck," Moon cusses, crawling out of the debris bed she's been lying on and approaching the fainted creature on her knees.

Moon tucks the creature into her arms. Everything hurts. Her consciousness is thin and wavering, but she manages to take out a small revive as she removes the dust and sand off the small, green Pokémon.

Moon is tempted to swear again as she sees the wounds on the Pokémon, but she swallows it up and tucks the revive into the creature's hand, watching it dissolve into its skin. A second later, the small Pokémon begins to stir, making a small noise.

All of a sudden, it springs up with a joyous cry, startling Moon so much that she leaps back in surprise. The move causes her body to shake in pain, and as she brings a hand to her side, she finds it to be dangerously wet with something she knows it's _not_ water, but if she looks at the crimson, she's sure she'll panic more than she should.

The small Pokémon floats up and studies her curiously. Moon's gaze sinks to the floor. "I, um… I know I shouldn't be here. I fell through the ceiling and–"

The Pokémon interrupts her with a cry and closes in on her. It floats steadily on thin air as it observes her wound, and within a second, it starts to glow in a dim, white light, though Moon is sure she could be hallucinating all of this. She hears a low chime reverberating behind the walls, everywhere around her, almost to the point she passes out.

When the chime fades away, she discovers that nothing hurts anymore and that other than a fading headache and a small dull pain within her side, she's no longer in danger. All that's left is a very ugly patch of darkening red and a stinging numbness on her legs.

As Moon's recovers her footing and regains her senses, the creature chirps happily, and Moon's thoughts screech to a halt.

"Wait, you're–"

" _Celebi. I sensed terrible danger and I hurried here as fast as I could, yet the ceiling broke and I had to be saved by you, instead_." Its voice is confoundingly young, echoing with the tones of many children canned in one tiny fairy. She's certain this voice is inside her head and she can't cope with that. " _I would have never expected a human to go out of their way to help one of my kind when they are dying._ "

Moon is tempted to deny that statement, but Celebi has a point. She cradles her head, confused.

"I, um… yeah, it's not right to leave a Pokémon on the ground like that. Why did _you_ save me, though?"

" _Because just as humans are often cruel and manipulative, you are simply not. I know everything that led you here was not your fault_." Celebi floats towards her, patting her cheek with one tiny hand. Moon's eyes widen, disbelieving of what she's seeing. " _Do not punish yourself any longer. I sense great trouble within you, yes?_ "

Celebi is making reference to something so deeply rooted within her that she can't quite understand what's going on. She knows Psychic types can read minds and do _stuff_ that she can't begin to comprehend, but this is a tad too much for her right now.

Still, she sighs. Celebi's touch is strangely soothing.

" _Do not worry, small one_. _I believe I know what you are looking for_. _Please, follow me_."

Moon does as requested and gets up. The corridors are darker than the ones above her, but Celebi shines a soft pink to guide them through. The walls reflect a broken pastel and reveal myriads of messages written in Unown language. Moon almost thinks this is fate spitting and laughing at her, but Celebi's presence is staving off all those fears.

" _Tell me, young one. Have you ever read Pokémon history books?_ "

She entwines her hands behind her back, hesitant to admit her truth. "Fewer than I'd like."

" _They are not often the most truthful, but most of them admit to their wrongdoings. It is true they prey on our kind, but we are more forgiving than we seem. Some of us have to be alone, like the guardian of the sea must_." Moon perks up at the mention of that name. " _We do tend to be picky with whom we choose. Not all humans are the same_."

Her expression turns dejected. "It's all about being chosen, right?"

" _Exactly. Not everyone is born chosen. They are often kind, avid trainers with a great future ahead of them._ " Moon glances to Celebi, whose eyes have turned sharp in memory. " _We can only know so much without establishing deeper contact with them. Sometimes, all it takes is a gesture of purity_."

Had Tapu Koko considered saving Nebby and nearly _dying_ a gesture of purity? Is that really all it takes for someone to be deemed worthy? How is she worthy when other people around her have done many greater things?

" _I sense clouds of doubt within your bright spirit._ " Celebi flies ahead of her, stopping in front of her. " _It is unusual for a Champion of your caliber to be brought down by something like this_."

"I just can't understand _why_ I am where I am now," Moon admits, dejected. She folds her arms in thought. "Why am _I_ here? How am I worthy of anything if I'm just a competent trainer?"

" _But you are so much more than that. You might be in a position that showcases that, but that does not mean your feats are not a part of you_."

"That doesn't make me worthy of visiting Lugia. I'm not a graceful, pure trainer, and I'm not the hero everyone thinks I am." Moon sighs. She purses her lips as a shiver of emotion curses through her. "How am I gonna visit Lugia when I can't have faith in myself? I'm not a hero. I'm just a trainer that had everything handed to her because I was _needed_."

Celebi stares at her in complete silence. It floats up, down, up, down.

" _You were needed because it was you. They needed you. They did not need anyone else but you,"_ Celebi says, making Moon swallow stiffly. " _When I was unconscious under a bed of rocks, I did not need a trainer to see me and walk on by, but someone to save me so I could guide them. Your life, as well as your friends', would not have been the same if it had not been you_."

Moon takes a deep, deep breath. Celebi begins to move forward, but Moon stays still. "How can I know that? How can _you_ know that?"

Celebi releases something akin to a small, childish laugh, turning to her. " _I can see so many things within you, young one. The Tapus, as well as Lunala and Solgaleo, saw that as well. They saw your intentions, your fears. In the same way you accepted Alola into your heart, Alola accepted you. It is how it works._ "

"How does that mean Lugia will accept me too, though?" Her question comes off uncertain – nothing like the Champion she makes herself be. As Gladion had said earlier, she's stubborn, and she will only accept the truth. "I– I just–"

" _I can sense that you have a good heart, Moon._ " Celebi flies close to her, pressing its hands on her cheeks. Moon doesn't notice that tears are running until Celebi wipes one off her cheek. In the darkness of the corridor, Celebi shines a light on her. " _You would not have as many friends as you do if it were not for your pure, brave heart. The Tapus would not have chosen you otherwise, and I can assure you Lugia will be joyful to see you_."

Her eyes widen like saucers at the declaration. "R-Really?"

Celebi laughs. " _That is not up to me to tell. All I can do now is guide you to what you seek and also take you away from here. No human is meant to be here. I can only fend off the Unown and the Gengar for so long. It is a miracle you made it here alive_."

Moon nods with a small smile, wiping off her tears and rolling her shoulders to a prouder, stronger position, regaining her faith little by little. Celebi's words aren't an immediate cure for her insecurities, but having an actual legendary Pokémon assure her of her fears is more than what she needed. She feels warm again, illuminated in the lonely corridor by a blessed spirit.

At the moment, that's all she needs, and maybe she can give Gladion a more than necessary apology for their argument earlier. She hadn't been fair to him at all.

Moon looks around them. The Unown engravings are growing scarcer, and if she listens carefully, she can hear Chimechos screeching in joy somewhere she can't see. "Where exactly are we?"

" _The Alph Catacombs. Time flows differently here._ " Celebi takes a sharp turn to the right. Moon is aware of the darkness around them. She fears stepping out of Celebi's light and being swallowed by the ruins. " _The civilization that used to live here rests under the very ground we walk on. I do not know my way around here all that well, so I apologize for taking so many turns._ "

"I'd be doomed if I were alone, so I can't thank you enough." Moon absent-mindedly reaches for her Pokéball and is both relieved and disappointed to find her side empty. "I left my Pokémon in Alola, and Deci should be up there with Gladion."

Celebi nods, giving Moon a small smile. " _I suppose you would have been fine. Maybe the Unown would have caused you some trouble, but they would not have done much more than playing tricks on you_."

"What do you mean by _tricks_?"

" _The usual_. _Sleep spells, nightmares, maybe a few flashbacks to things they have never seen. Some more vengeful Unown will torture humans with visions of the wars that gave birth to these very ruins. I doubt they would do such a thing to a willful, wise spirit like yours_." Moon swallows thickly as they take another turn. Celebi's flying comes to an abrupt end. " _We have arrived_."

Celebi's light dims down as they arrive at a dead end with two lone torches and a small altar holding a lonely bell. If anyone were to stumble with this, they would mistake the little bell for just a regular object, and for a second, Moon has the same doubts herself.

Celebi floats close to the altar. "Is that the Tidal Bell?"

" _Generations of Kimono Girls have guarded this item until recent years. If they have led you here, they trust you, and, as a result, you have my trust as well._ " Celebi illuminates a small engraving on the wall as Moon walks closer. The engraving has no colors or notes, but she can distinguish the shape of the Whirl Islands all the same. _"Lugia should be resting in its den in the northern part of the islands. Those two young trainers you travel with should know the way_."

The bell floats up to Moon's hands, enveloped in a beautiful green light. It makes a small noise as it falls on her palms. "Do you mean Lyra and Ethan?"

" _Yes_. _They have been there once, and it seems like Lugia must be anticipating your arrival. Lugia is perpetually resting at the bottom of the islands, concealing its power, waiting for you._ " Celebi floats close to Moon and pats her cheeks with its hands again, making Moon smile brighter. " _Rely on your heart and the path you have walked, young one, and never look back_."

Moon looks at the bell once and then curls her fingers around the small object, expression resolute in determination. "Got it!"

Celebi nods. Its eyes flash once with a foreign, ancient light, and Moon's body begins to shine in bright pink, illuminating the path around her. " _I will take you back to the surface now. I trust you to not tell anyone about our encounter_. _I believe you know why_."

Moon nods, holding the bell close to her chest. "It'll be a secret, I promise."

With one last smile, Celebi waves at her as she feels a force pull her away from this time, this place, this chamber. " _Good luck. Shall Arceus be with you, young one_."

And then, Celebi is gone.

* * *

Traveling through time and space feels, surprisingly, like absolutely nothing. Moon has traveled through dimensions, worlds, and possibly universes more times than she could count with her hands, and there's always a heaviness to the momentum of the travel that made her feel like she was both soaring and dying.

This time, though, when she closes her eyes and breathes in, it feels, for a moment, like she's somewhere else entirely, in a different time, a different space, but unlike in Ultra Space, she's still _herself_.

It's like she's underwater, floating freely in an infinite basin of water with no surface, no ground, and for a second, it feels like she can breathe for a second, as though she's young again and all she has to do is reach for the stars to get help, hearing the distant cry of a Pokémon, of her friends, Gladion, _Gladion_ –

And when she wakes up and takes a deep, final breath, she's met with teary green eyes and two other heads watching over her, gasping instantly when she comes to. The sun is beating down on her friends harshly, casting shadows on her body and her friends' faces as they shield her from the sun.

Above her, Lyra chokes a sob and sinks to her knees. "Thank goodness you're okay! We were so worried! We didn't know where you went!"

Slowly, Moon sits up, groaning. Gladion's hands ghost over her, not knowing what to do, silently studying her with haunted attention. Her voice comes out as a hoarse whisper. "Why am I here? Why am I on the ground?"

"We found you here!" Ethan exclaims, rubbing his eyes as what looks like tears dampen his cheeks. "We were looking around for ways to find you after what happened yesterday and– and you weren't breathing!"

That's right. They had entered the ruins during sunset and the sun is clearly out now. Just how much time had she spent down there? She only remembers waking up in pain, finding a hurt Pokémon, and–

She notices she's clutching something _hard_ , so much so her knuckles are white. Moon uncurls her fist to find a tiny, silvery bell in her hands, glinting under the sunlight to the awe of her friends and her own, because part of her still believes it had all been a faraway dream.

Ethan rushes to her side, supporting her with a hand on her back. "That's the Tidal Bell! You got your hands on it!"

Moon blinks, catching the lights reflecting on the metallic item. "I guess I did, huh."

"That means we can finally go to the Whirl Islands! The Kimono Girls must be waiting for us there!" Lyra clenches her fists in excitement, jumping a little. "I can't wait to–!"

Lyra's words are muffled by a yelp as Gladion comes to terms with her consciousness and lunges to hug her tight, sitting her up straighter and burying his face into her shoulder. His fingers dig into the back of her shirt as sobs rock through him, making Moon aware that she's never heard him this shaken up before.

Ethan and Lyra are watching them with wide, concerned eyes, so Moon gently waves them away so Gladion can speak his mind without anybody to hear him other than her and the vacant ruins.

She wraps her arms around him, clutching the black fabric of his torn sweater. She closes her eyes, drinking in his presence, the warmth of his embrace, and the tightness of his grip on her already dirty shirt.

"I thought I lost you," he stutters into her neck. Moon can tell his jaw is clenched just by how much his voice trembles. "When I saw you fall I– I thought I lost you, Moon. I thought you were _gone_."

Her eyes sting with unshed tears. Had she been more prepared for her fight with Silver, had her mind been where it should have, maybe this could have been prevented. She sighs brokenly into his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Gladion. I'm _so_ sorry."

"I didn't even have time to dive in for you and get you back, because Lyra and Ethan took me and Silver out of there before I could even try," he mumbles. "I wanted to save you. I wanted to take you out of there, but the ruins were falling apart and _Arceus_ I'm so fucking useless." He sounds like a child that's still scared of the monster under his bed. "I did everything wrong. You relied on me to be by your side and I fucked up and–"

Moon breaks the hug for a split second to look at him in the eye, cupping his tear-stained cheeks. "None of this was your fault. I should have known better than to battle Silver in some old ruins, and if I hadn't been so weak then maybe things would've turned out differently." Her thumbs brush the red marks the tears had left behind. "I'm the one who's sorry. I was so mean earlier too, I shouldn't have pushed you–"

"No, that's on me, not you." Before Moon can deny that, he talks again. "I should have told you everything instead of keeping it all to myself, because you needed to hear it and I was too damn slow to get that."

He's swearing an alarming amount of times, making Moon worry an extra bit. "We've been friends for ages, Gladion. I know it's not like you to, um, say things right away."

"But I should have told you. It's why you wanted me to come with you."

That's true, but also not true. Moon had never anticipated this much emotional mayhem, so a greater part of her had invited Gladion to Johto with her so they could have a nice holiday together. She's always yearning to be with him more often, wanting to take more time to stroll down the beach with him, have more battles, be _closer_ , be more than they already are.

He's holding her with that same sentiment. Moon tries to catch his eyes with her own, and when she does, he's retreating to his knees. His back is bent into a pained arch as he gently reaches for her hands, tracing her palms softly.

"I wish I was as outspoken as you are, even if you're a chatterbox and you don't know when to shut up."

Moon's eyes grow stale. "Ever so charming, Gladion."

"I mean it," he says with a sharp voice, his gaze fixed on their laced hands. "When you asked me to come I wanted to say no, because I know I _suck_ at being honest." His body inflates as he breathes in. "You have been with me since the beginning, one way or another, and you didn't leave my side even when I told you that I didn't want to have friends."

She gives him a tiny smile. "You've always been a terrible liar." Her fingers comb through his uneven bangs, seeking his eyes. "And look at us now."

"I wasn't lying to you as much as I was lying to myself," Gladion says, gulping. "You have always been so brave and so kind to anyone that after all I did, after all my family did, after all Lusamine told me I was… I didn't think I deserved any of it. Even when I was at my worst, you remained by my side."

His fingers play with hers distractedly, caressing them, uncurling them from tension she hadn't even realized still lingers on her body.

"You accepted everyone as they were, and you wanted us to be our best. You put Alola on your shoulders and accepted the burden even after everything it did to you. And my family… you took it upon yourself to help Lillie out. To help _me_ out, when I didn't deserve it." Moon watches his brow quiver. "You're the kindest person I know. Hau knows it, Lillie knows it, all of Alola knows it. Ethan and Lyra know it, even, and Lugia knows it too."

Moon is tempted to counter his thoughts, to give in to her insecurities and tell him he's in the wrong; instead, she remains quiet, watching him shake and unravel like she's been waiting for all these years.

"I would never want to upset you, and I failed at supporting you." His eyes narrow in grief, and something twinkles in his eyes that makes her feel for him even more. "And you're so quiet now I'm scared of fucking up again and maybe losing you again, too, because I–"

At this, Moon silences him by leaning closer and pressing a kind, soft kiss on his forehead. It's a step into affection they've never taken, and it's much, much more than Moon would allow herself to do, to feel, but she still revels in the gasp he lets out.

"I'm here, Gladion," she says, smiling earnestly. "I know you tried, and maybe if I had let myself trust you… maybe things would've been easier. But I know you tried and I know how you feel now." She takes in how his eyes widen, the small bob of his Adam's apple as he trembles in emotion, and she takes him into her arms again, smiling. "Thank you, Gladion, for being here for me."

It takes him a few seconds to reciprocate the gesture, bracing her against him gentler than before, but still tight and waiting like he's scared of her falling away from his reach. The edges of her mind are closing her in, letting her only feel his warmth, his soft touch as he runs a hand up and down her back, entangling his fingers into her hair, pushing her against him.

"I'll never leave you, I promise," he whispers into her shoulder, and Moon swears she feels him press a kiss on the silver of bare skin that her shirt doesn't cover. "Count on me, please. And stay with me. Let me protect you next time."

This once, unlike before, Moon lets herself be serenaded by his words with a contented little smile, closing her eyes in bliss.

And for once, everything is quiet.

* * *

It takes them another pair of days to figure out how to go about their expedition. Lyra and Ethan had gratefully accepted walking them to Lugia's den, provided it's sleeping on the same spot they once met. Moon guesses that the Kimono Girls have already headed there, considering the four of them will find their way to them.

Maybe it's their sneaky way of testing Moon one last time, but they don't know she's come prepared. They dedicate one whole day to preparing themselves for the trip down the Whirl Islands by ransacking the Poké Mart, and another day is spent on extra tourism per Moon's request.

The night before their expedition, Moon and Gladion stargazed from Gladion and Ethan's room in the hot springs.

"We could do a longer tour around Johto when this is over," Moon offered, looking at the stars wishfully. "We could bring Ethan and Lyra with us, too. I know you've been dying to challenge the gyms for a while now."

Gladion hummed, contemplating the idea. His eyes withdrew from the stars to watch her for a short moment where Moon eventually turned to him as well. "I wouldn't mind doing that, but I'm looking forward to traveling around Johto too."

Moon's eyes widened. "You weren't very keen on the idea before we came here, what changed?"

Gladion didn't give her an answer, though he stared at her for a long, long while with an intent Moon never got to decipher. They watched the stars for hours after that in deep silence, thinking about what the next day would bring for them.

The following day, Moon and Gladion hop on Lyra's Lapras while Ethan uses his Feraligatr to sail the seas of route 41. Ethan is considerably faster as he's alone, but Lapras sends waves so big when she passes by that Ethan almost falls off a few times, making the other three laugh.

The seas turn rockier and more dangerous the closer they get to the Whirl Islands. Lyra is concerned about this. "Darn, I wasn't expecting it to be this windy today. The sea's usually tough, but this isn't how I remember it."

"You said the insides of the islands are dangerous," Moon says. Lyra nods with a distracted hum, following Ethan. "Do you think we're prepared for it?"

"Oh, you're _super_ prepared! You've been beating trainers left and right around Olivine, you'll be fine!" Lyra grins at her. Her smile is shadowed under the pearly sunlight of midday. "Ethan and I had to spend the longest time looking for the right entrance to Lugia's den, but now that we know the way in, we should be fine!"

They make it there mostly in one piece. Right after Lyra says that, Gladion nearly falls off Lapras, and Moon has to steady him by her side, which he doesn't complain much about. After cursing through a whirlpool and teaching Moon and Gladion the arts of fishing in these parts, they hop onto the clear sands of the Whirl Islands.

Lyra and Ethan pat their Pokémon in gratitude. They recall them to their respective Pokéballs afterward, approaching Moon and Gladion. Ethan looks at his feet. "I guess there's no Stardust around here this time."

Lyra grins cheekily. "Other trainers must have picked it up! But that's not what matters. Let's get going before we get cold feet!"

"I suggest you don't move unless you want my Pokémon to bust you to the seas."

Much to their discomfort and disgrace, Silver waltzes out of the cave into the island with his Typhlosion right before her, who screeches when he sees Moon is standing there. When Silver catches sight of her, he too is surprised, and Gladion doesn't hesitate to take a step between them.

"What are you doing here? Are you following us?"

Lyra pouts at Silver and crosses her arms. "Silver, that's not nice! We already explained the situation to you, they're fine people!"

"They might be fine people to you, Lyra, but they aren't fine people to _me_ ," Silver sneers, staring at Moon from over Gladion's shoulder. "These people don't know a thing about our region. They could be here to hurt Lugia, have you thought of that?"

"We know them better than you do, Silver!" insists Ethan from behind, just as irritated as Lyra. "Let us through! You know very well you're outnumbered, this isn't a game!"

"Of course it isn't a game!" Silver squints his eyes viciously at Moon, who is staring at him just as ardently. "How did you get out of the ruins, huh? You were supposed to stay there and never come back!"

Gladion grabs his left hand as it begins to shake, growling. "So you wanted to hurt her, then!"

"No, but a stranger can't barge in like they own the place and just– win everyone over! Do you know how long it took me to have a place in this region myself, hm? Do you even know how long it takes to be accepted into society as the son of a twisted parent?" Much to Moon's surprise, Gladion remains quiet, observing him in quiet ire. "It took me _ages_ to do that! Why does she get to see Lugia when not even Ho-Oh will come before me? What does _she_ have that _I_ don't have?"

Moon bets Silver hasn't noticed it, but he's begun to shake and heave like he's unloading something much heavier than him. Something dark shadows his eyes dangerously, much like that time Moon had faced him and nearly died in the process.

His words linger in the air, and before she can say anything on the matter, Lyra brushes past her and Gladion and stands before Silver, smiling gently. "You're our friend, Silver. Legendary Pokémon are… whimsical, in a way. And she has her reason to want what she wants."

"It's not fair," Silver says through gritted teeth, stuffing his clenched fists in his pockets. "I've been working so much to be good after all the shit I've done, and yet a damn stranger flies in and wants to take _everything_? How is that fair?"

"She's not gonna take anything from us. I promise." Lyra takes a careful step towards him, and Silver doesn't move away. "Moon needs this, and we need you to step aside. This isn't about you. If you know what's best, move aside."

Ethan hums in agreement and steps forward, too, standing in front of Silver. "Legendaries are just Pokémon, but you got us!" Lyra nods in cheerful agreement, smiling brilliantly. "We aren't as powerful as them, but we're gonna be here for you. And if Lugia doesn't wanna see your worth, then we will! Neither Lugia or Ho-Oh determine your worth as a trainer, buddy."

Moon and Gladion exchange a look, smiling in understanding. Lyra and Ethan approach Silver, only for them to curl their arms around Silver in an affectionate group hug that makes something change in Silver's expression.

His expression tightens. "I also want that," he admits with a thin voice, sighing. "It's not fair."

"I've been traveling through Alola for years to find my own worth. It's a long trip I haven't finished yet," Moon admits. She dodges Gladion to stand before Silver, smiling. He might have accidentally almost killed her, but she's willing to be kind this once. "It takes time to find oneself. You'll get there eventually. I can assure you that what you're doing now isn't gonna make things easier."

Silver stares at her, conflicted between telling her off and staying quiet, and he fails to notice Lyra and Ethan carefully pushing him aside, out of their way. "If you hurt Lugia, I swear–"

"We won't hurt Lugia. We just want to talk to it." Gladion crosses his arms, letting Moon stalk past him and towards the entrance, where she waits for him to follow. "And… I know what it feels like to do bad things to people and not know if you want to be forgiven or not. Let those two hug you until you figure it out."

Silver curses him under his breath as Moon giggles. Lyra waves at them, grinning. "Go in ahead of us, we'll distract him for a lil'! It's a one-way path, so just follow the ladders down the cave. Say hi to Lugia in our stead, will ya'?"

Gladion nods and walks into the dark cave, but Moon is held back by Silver talking to her one last time.

"I'm sorry, by the way." Silver begrudgingly wraps his arms around Ethan and Lyra, sighing. "I didn't entirely mean for that to happen."

That suffices for Moon, so she waves at him with a nod and follows Gladion inside.

The path down the cave inside the island isn't as tough as Moon had expected. They go down several ladders and stumble with a few stray Pokémon that present little to no trouble for them. With nobody in their way, Gladion takes out Silvally and works with Moon to get through the place as quickly as possible. Their teamwork is like muscle memory to her and they don't exercise it as much as they should.

Gladion hops off one ladder and offers Moon his hand to jump off herself. She takes his hand even though she doesn't need it, and they continue through the cave until they find one of the Kimono Girls standing on their way. Behind her, there's an infinite basin of water illuminated by gems that gleam in the dark.

"I am so happy to see you made it here, finally." The woman's eyes lower. "I see that you have your ducks in a row regarding that issue, too."

Moon and Gladion look down, horrified to realize that they're still holding hands. Moon firstly thinks he'll let go, but despite his clear embarrassment and how he refuses to meet her eye, he doesn't let her go.

She rubs the back of her neck, grinning sheepishly. "We wouldn't wanna get lost, you see."

The Kimono Girl nods, giggling into the enormous sleeve of her kimono, and nods at them to follow her down a steep slope to the basin. There's a gentle breeze rocking through the cave that blows Moon away for a split second, and it's only after Gladion tugs her hand that she follows him.

"Are you nervous?" Gladion asks, descending slowly.

"Nervous beyond belief," Moon admits, making him chuckle. "I know nothing has to go wrong, but I really, _really_ hope it doesn't."

When they reach the entrance to the den, Moon can hear a waterfall coming from within. A gentle chime follows the noise with a magical twinkle, eliciting sparks of enthusiasm and fear from her toes to her fingertips.

Gladion tips her chin up, squeezing her hand. "Even if something goes wrong, which I doubt it will, you're much more worthy than whatever some Pokémon will say. Stay strong, okay?"

Moon stares into his eyes one last time. They gleam with the spare lights that illuminate the cave, and even in their dimness she can see the beautiful emerald of his irises, the intensity of his gaze that whispers too many things for her own good. Her heart throbs, and if she didn't know any better, she would get on her tiptoes and maybe, just maybe–

She purses her lips and walks into the cave, willing her blush to go away. When she looks up again though, she finds the five Kimono Girls standing in front of a rocky altar, their hands entwined in front of them.

When Gladion and Moon approach them, they smile in unison. "We have been expecting you. We reckon you have retrieved the Tidal Bell from the Ruins of Alph, right?"

Moon nods tersely and rummages through her pocket, fishing the bell out of it. She delicately hands it to the Kimono Girls as though it were made of glass, and much to her surprise, it instead floats to the center of the altar.

The Tidal Bell begins to shine in a pale blue, and the Kimono Girls gather around it. "With this dance we have been practicing, we will bring Lugia out of its slumber behind the waterfall."

The Kimono Girls start twirling, dancing around the altar. The Tidal Bell chimes in accordance as an ancient tone reverberates through the cave, echoing deep within Moon. The music reaches her soul, caresses it, and graces it with the familiar feeling of being underwater, adrift at sea, as though the waves were caressing her fingertips and she was one with the water, one with the music, one with Lugia, and one with her own self.

Two bells tied to two broken pillars by the waterfall join the chime, waking up a breeze that sprays lukewarm water on her cheeks. The music grows intense, louder and with one last twirl of the Kimono Girls and one last chime, a loud screech finishes the tune with its mellow cry.

Moon senses something looming behind the waters, growing closer, closer, closer–

With one cry, Lugia busts out of the waterfall and flaps its wings. Its silvery, platinum feathers blow Moon away as the memory of being washed by the waves as a kid comes to her. She remembers its gentle touch, the glimmer of its feathers, watching it with childish wonder as it dove back into the sea to never be seen again.

Lugia lowers down to the sea level. It looks like a mighty pigeon, watching its visitors with a careful gaze. The flapping of its wings wakes up a mysterious, nostalgic breeze that nearly brings Moon to tears.

The Kimono Girls bow their heads, turning to Moon and Gladion. "Go ahead. Lugia is waiting for you."

Stunned into silence and no longer knowing how to even walk, Moon turns to Gladion.

"Go," he whispers, letting go of her hand and giving her a small push. "I will wait for you."

Moon slowly advances towards the rocky edge, careful and guarded. One of her hands clutches her Champion necklace for confidence. Gladion stands back as she makes it to a small bump out on the path, coming to stand right before Lugia.

There's so much she wants to say, yet so little she can express properly.

"I'm… not gonna hurt you," Moon assures, yet Lugia's distant disposition doesn't change. "I don't know for how long you'll be interested in me, and in all honesty I don't know yet if I'm worthy of your presence, but I like thinking that I am, and… well, if I'm not, that's fine too."

Lugia stares at her, unblinking, and Moon takes a deep breath, lowering her eyes to the waters below.

"I came here to say thank you," Moon begins, breathless. "You might not remember it, but I fell into the sea when I was a little kid and you saved my life. You took me back to land before I drowned, and it might be meaningless to you, but it means a lot to me." She takes a deep breath and bends her body, bowing. "I owe you my life. Even if I might not be worthy of this opportunity, I needed to take it and express my gratitude to you."

When she looks up, Lugia is still studying her quietly. It hasn't run away from her yet, which gives Moon confidence to continue.

"By saving me, you… you also saved Alola, in a way." Moon gulps yet manages to smile. "I traveled Alola to become strong, and in the end, I saved the people I cared about thanks to that. If it hadn't been for you, maybe I wouldn't have been interested in Pokémon at all, either. I owe a lot to my friends, but I also owe a lot to you."

Moon reaches out with one hand, offering it the closest to a handshake she can manage, because part of her wonders if Legendary Pokémon ever get even half the gratitude they deserve.

"Thank you for saving my life, thank you for saving my homeland's life, thank you for protecting Johto and the people in it."

Her hand remains outstretched for a little. After a few seconds of silence that only the waterfall fills, Lugia inches a little closer, flapping its wings gently – but it misses her hand and grows even closer. Moon doesn't even have time to be scared, for Lugia tucks its head under her hand and nuzzles it so softly her stomach lurches.

Lugia releases a gentle noise. Lugia doesn't use any words, but Moon feels reassured of her fears all the same.

Her throat seizes up, and when Lugia withdraws its head, it's only to inch closer and poke her forehead with its nose, rubbing her beanie off her head. Moon's heart stops working altogether, and all she manages to let out is a sob, caressing Lugia's cheek as she sobs quietly in a fit of pure feeling.

They remain like that for a while. Moon's voice comes out tremorous and small. "Thank you so much, Lugia."

Lugia releases a happy screech and retreats, hovering above water again with a joyous glint in its eyes. Moon wipes tears off her eyes, waving at it with a smile. "Have a good sleep, okay? If you don't mind, I might visit you someday. I could bring friends too."

"Now, that's overdoing it a little," Gladion says from the background, softer than usual, and Moon puffs her cheeks in annoyance. Lugia screeches, and if Moon focuses, she can hear a promise in its voice.

And after that, Lugia swims back into the sea and disappears into the waterfall again, yet the chime of the bells and its cries fill the space in a distant echo seconds after its departure.

Moon remains on her spot, stunned into silence, but the Kimono Girls' words reach her all the same. "We will be taking our leave now. We will take the bell back to the Ruins of Alph. We will leave you alone now." The five of them bow in unison. "We hope to see you again in the future."

Silence washes over the cave after their departure, leaving Moon and Gladion alone. A small breeze whirls around the cave and messes with her hair gently, and as she tucks it behind her ear, Gladion approaches her.

She's got a smile ready for him when he reaches her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Moon nods, wiping one last stray tear off her eye. "Yeah, I'm doing great. Just finished crying to a god about my feelings, what about you?"

That gets an actual chuckle out of him, and he doesn't hesitate to pull her into a hug. Moon curls her arms around his middle, burrowing her nose in his dark sweater. "I told you it would be fine. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, though you know you don't gotta reassure me about everything, right?" The small pause he gives her makes her panic. "Not that I'm complaining, it's just –"

He chuckles again, breaking the hug. His arms linger around her. "It's not like I want to withhold these sorts of things from you. I don't want to hide anymore." His eyes, priorly beautiful in their serenity, cloud with what Moon deems to be irritation with not her, but himself. "I want to help you grow just like you did to me."

Her mouth parts in surprise. Her eyes are wide in wonder. "Gladion, I –"

He places a finger over her lips. His other hand curls around her waist, bringing her closer. "I know I never told you this but… you're my hero, and I want to do better not only for me but you, too." His cheeks redden in embarrassment. "In the same way Lugia saved your life, you saved mine years ago. And I want us to be better. Together."

Moon blinks at him. She's pretty sure her heart's at the level of her throat right now and that if she says a word now, she'll squeak or embarrass herself.

Studying each other in silence, Gladion turns his head, blushing deeper. "Listen, I don't know if I'm making any sense, but if I'm making you uncomfortable then _please_ tell me, because I have a lot of things to say and I've been trying to tell you how I feel for years but –"

That's about enough for her, and Moon cups his cheeks gently and brings him down for a soft kiss, closing her eyes as she keeps him there, unwilling to move because if she opens her eyes and sees him not liking the kiss – or even worse, staring at her – she'll probably run away and Moon is too nervous to–

A small sigh blows past his nose, and with a tilt of his head, he brings Moon closer and deepens the kiss, making a myriad of Butterfree bloom in her stomach with his touch. His lips glide against her softly, patiently, letting her hold onto him as she conveys her gratitude for his support through loving touches and gentle sighs.

His fingers dig into her shirt and hers brace onto his shoulders, releasing quiet whimpers into his mouth. Moon whispers his name against his lips, deepening the kiss as she tiptoes closer to his height, swallowing the little groan he lets out.

Moon throws all her feelings into her kiss: she tells him that she loves him, that she's thankful for his support, that she doesn't know where she'd be without him, that _Arceus_ she needs him to keep living.

His tongue traces the seam of her bottom lip and her knees quiver at his sinful intent, and when they break away, she realizes she's holding onto him so tight she might rip his sweater apart. He keeps her close, though, caressing her cheek as he pulls her as close as he might.

Gladion has always been beautiful, but under the pastel lights of the cave and the water that glides on his reddened cheeks, he might be another kind of beautiful that sets her heart ablaze.

When he talks, he's panting. That alone has Moon hungry for another kiss. "I've been wanting to do that for a while."

The hoarse rasp of his lips makes a little something spark in her stomach. "Unfair of you to keep me waiting, then."

Gladion laughs, he actually _laughs_ , rubbing his forehead with hers. "Unfair of you to kiss me like that and not expect me to want another."

Moon bites her lip, grinning as she tiptoes again and he braces her against him once more, yet cheery voices coming from the passage interrupt them.

"Guys! The Kimono Girls told us you did it, right?" Lyra rushes into the cave, yelling cheerfully as she waves. "You gotta tell us all the deets! But you should get out of here before it gets cold!"

The look Gladion gives her, still holding Moon, says a lot than what he'll ever say out loud. Moon giggles, stepping out of the embrace and holding his hand instead. "Let's get going. You said there was a very nice restaurant in Olivine where we could have a fancy dinner, right?"

Ethan cheers from outside as the three walk out of the cave. "Yeah! We gotta celebrate! There's so much we still gotta do! Let's hurry up and get out of here, I'm getting hungry!"

As Lyra and Ethan bicker about what they want to get for dinner, Gladion lifts their joined hands to press a kiss on hers, walking purposefully a few steps behind the other two.

"Should we tell them about us?"

Moon grins devilishly. "Let's keep them waiting and see how long it takes for them to figure it out."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my main intention was to write only the encounter w Lugia and the kissing scene so I'm sorry for the backstory nonsense that came before that, I have a knack for making set-ups unnecesarily wordy (and one would argue boring but that's not up to me I'm sorry EGRBLK)
> 
> but yes I have nothing else to say other than Silver deserves love and a proper character arc but that's not my job so I'll see yall in another story, BYE


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